For many American fathers, there’s still a disconnect between what they want, and what they think they can do. They may want to be equal partners, to share the joys and responsibilities of parenting with their partner, but a triple combination of antiquated gender norms, sclerotic workplace culture and lack of family-friendly policies knock that choice off the table.
My colleague had a baby and her husband decided to take a 12-month leave from his job to stay home with the newborn. We, her co-workers, were all surprised, if not shocked. That was nearly 20 years ago. We likely would have been as surprised today. And we wouldn’t have been alone in our American reaction, as we are one of a handful of countries without mandatory paid leave for either parent.
Fatherhood is in the news, whether it’s high-profile dads or renewed pushes for paid leave in the District of Columbia, New York City, and beyond. For those of us urging equality between men and women in the workplace, the discussion is rightly focusing on whether men are, should be, or even can do half of the daily caring for children and housework. But elsewhere, in our court system, custody wars continue, and state child-welfare systems spend millions getting nonresident fathers to pay child support. That leads to a lot of strong opinions about fathers and modern fatherhood. But what’s really happening?
Last year, Nikki van der Gaag co-authored a groundbreaking study on the world’s fathers after realizing they were absent from most research. This year, she’s honing in on fatherhood in specific regions and delving into the cultural context behind men’s involvement in their children’s lives. In this interview, Nikki van der Gaag joins David Michael Newstead to discuss her research, gender equality, and Ryan Gosling.
Today, we’re launching the country’s first State of America’s Fathers report – a landmark analysis of fatherhood. Fathers in the United States are more involved than ever before,
Brazil’s “Community of Practice” platform, in partnership with Equimundo and with the Ministry of Health’s National Coordinating Body on Men’s Health, launched the online course “Engaging Men:
State of the World’s Fathers: Latin America and the Caribbean presents research about men’s engagement in issues directly related to fatherhood, including caregiving and parenting tasks; child
The inaugural State of the World’s Fathers, a landmark analysis of fatherhood, launched in 2015 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and subsequently in 10
As the Managing Director of Women Effect, Simi Shah talks to people doing amazing things in the world every day. Simi met with Gary Barker, Founder and International Director of Equimundo, during his recent trip to London to discuss Equimundo’s work with men and boys.
The State of the World’s Fathers: Time for Action 2017 report, a MenCare publication, draws from nearly 100 research studies and reports, with data from nearly every country where
The State of Brazil’s Fathers report presents the state of fatherhood in Brazil, focusing on areas including sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, men’s health, violence against
A flagship report produced by Equimundo as a MenCare publication, State of America’s Fathers aims to increase the visibility and value of care work in the United
Men from around the United States share their experiences of fatherhood in America’s Dads. They say they can do more. They want to do more. But they
Involving men in fatherhood and caregiving has enormous potential to transform the lives of men and women in Portugal and around the world. With this in mind,
Being a Father asks fathers, mothers, and children from around the world: “What does fatherhood mean to you?” This film was produced alongside the launch of State of
Launched in June 2015 in 10 cities around the world, the first State of the World’s Fathers (SOWF) report serves as a landmark analysis of fatherhood and caregiving, drawing
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