Noting that the well-being of children and that of mothers cannot be separated, this report provides information on the well-being of mothers worldwide. The report compares the status of mothers in 20 industrialized nations and in 86 developing countries, and creates a Mothers' Index measuring the overall status of mothers. The Mothers' Index is a composite of elements contributing to a woman's well-being, including health status, modern contraceptive use, literacy, and participation as national government officeholders; and elements contributing to a child's well-being, including infant mortality rate, access to safe water, primary school enrollment, and nutritional status. Data were based on published statistics from governments, international agencies, and research institutions. The report affirms the strong link between the well-being of mothers and children and identifies two factors that make a vital difference in their well-being: female education and access to--and use of--family planning services. The report also finds that national wealth alone does not guarantee the welfare of mothers and children. Recommendations from the analysis include the following: (1) ensure access to quality education for both women and girls; (2) ensure that all women have access to high quality, voluntary family planning services, in the context of broader maternal and child health services; (3) improve current research and conduct new studies that focus specifically on mothers; and (4) close the gap in mothers' and children's well-being among marginalized populations in industrialized countries. Appended is each country's score for each component of the Mother's Index, a description of the methodology, and research notes. (KB)