She made the call in an address at a Mothers' Day function at the Rienzi Complex in Couva hosted by the United National Congress (UNC).
Speaking as the leader of the UNC, Persad-Bissar acknowledged that doing this is sometime difficult since many mothers are sole breadwinners of their homes or single parents who struggle to make ends meet while still raising their children.
"It is because of these realities that as mother and grandmother leading a Government, I have taken a firm decision to ensure that our policies support mothers in these tasks," she said.
"That’s why Government’s policies have been designed to restore the family to its rightful place in our society, combat the inflation that stole from family budgets, expand opportunity through a renewed economy and hasten the return of values and principles that made our country one of the most peaceful, tolerant, good places to live on earth," she added.
Continuing on the subject, she said her government has made some solid progress in bringing relief to financially strapped families run by single mothers.
"We have been steadily focused on reducing inflation and food prices, while giving assistance and easy access in the areas of housing and agriculture.
"We have pioneered innovative education policies like free laptops for students and universal early childhood care to ensure that families have equal access to proper education and information on all fronts.
"We have revised the laws to ensure that gender equality is implemented on all fronts, while at the same time, expanding maternity leave for women, hiking up the minimum wage and soon, we will implement our promise of milk money for mothers," she said.
Persad-Bissessar noted that the progress her government is making is based on "good old-fashioned common sense, renewed belief in ourselves, and faith in God."
She also spoke of the challenges she faced since taking office as prime minister.
"I have found it challenging at times to ensure the positive turnaround of the country in all sectors that this Government committed to, but like any seasoned mother and grandmother, I often find the strength of resolve in the lessons from my own mother, who used to often preach to me to never give up until the task at hand is finished and everyone is happy because of it."
She called on the "great mothers of our party and our nation" to always remember that credo in the quest to make Trinidad and Tobago a better place for our children.
"And let us never forget that our job as mothers today is a tough one, of balancing a career and family. We have to provide an effective role model to our children and instill in them the knowledge that they should always aspire to be the best that they can, no matter what their chosen career may be.
"We have to teach them self-respect since, without this, a child cannot respect others.
"We have to encourage them daily, take interest in their school work and support them at all times, especially if they are not doing so well.
"We have to make sure that they are physically fit by getting them away from the TV and video games and computers and get them to participate in outdoor activities like we did when we were young.
"But most of all, we have to instill in them values that will preserve the very foundations of democracy that our nation hold strong to.
"I have no doubt we are all up to the task and as I say proudly that as a mother of all, I am committed to this task, I ask you all to join me in that effort.
"At the same time, on this very special weekend where we honour and pay tribute to our mothers, I call on all of us to recognize the enormous strengths and contributions of women, wives, and mothers and use this weekend as a symbol that we will always remember, reward, and recognize them and use their examples of love and courage as inspiration to be better than we are as a nation and as a people."
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