Mother's Day is that one special Sunday each year when we thank our mothers for all the sacrifices and hard work that motherhood demands.

Those demands are hardest on the 10 million single mothers in this country, who must perform double duty as breadwinner and caregiver. They have all the responsibility — and the joy — of raising a child, while at the same time paying the bills and putting a roof overhead and food on the table. If a child gets sick, they are the ones who stay home. If they get sick, there is no one else to provide support.

Single mothers are doing it on their own and they deserve more than just our gratitude and our respect. They also deserve recognition, as they are part of a larger demographic trend that has taken place over the last four decades.

Single mothers are part of a large and growing segment of the U.S. population — unmarried women. There are now 47 million "women on their own" in this country and statistics show they face a unique set of burdens. Half of all unmarried women live on less than $30,000 a year, three in five rely on the government for health insurance — or go without; and two in five have lived in their home less than five years, leaving them less rooted in their communities.

These women are connected by a common agenda: They want a government that provides for the common good and acknowledges their struggle. They are concerned about their economic situation and their ability to provide for their families. They want access to good health- care and educational opportunities, and they want the peace of mind that their retirement will be secure.

Today, their agenda is not on the national agenda. Public officials have not yet acknowledged the demographic shift and have not yet enacted the family-friendly policies that would help them.

But there is hope, because women on their own are a growing force for change in American politics. They already make up 24 percent of the voting-age population.

In 2004, women on their own increased their share of the electorate from 19 percent to 22 percent. But even with these increases, 20 million unmarried women stayed home.

Women's Voices. Women Vote. believes that single mothers — and all unmarried women — deserve a seat at the table. That's why we launched a groundbreaking effort to empower and increase turnout among women on their own. During the 2004 election, we ran registration programs in key states, and helped single women increase their turnout at twice the rate of all other voters.

Since then, we have conducted extensive survey and focus group research. We have found that unmarried women, especially single mothers, can be motivated to vote. By speaking to women on their own about their responsibility to become informed, encouraging them to participate in the political process as citizens, and calling on them to have their say on the issues that matter to them most, women on their own can become a force that changes America's national priorities.

This Mother's Day, we hope that moms get one more card than usual — a voter registration card. The gift of voting — and the change it can create for families — will endure throughout this year and for years to come.

Page Gardner is president of Women's Voices. Women Vote. — a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to increasing participation among unmarried women in their democracy.