Help men be better fathers

Our societies and economies depend on care. Globally, women do three to ten times more unpaid care and domestic work than men.  

While women have continued to do the lion’s share of care work during the pandemic, there is some good news - men are participating more. Surveys in 47 countries affirm that as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, men have been carrying out more hands-on care work than any time in recent history. 

How do we retain the Covid crisis’ gains in male care time  - and make it sustainable? 

Want Great Women Leaders? Help Men Be Better Fathers, written in Forbes by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, highlights the need for companies to get better at empowering men to be good fathers. She suggests that just like women learn about gender balance by taking on new and bigger roles in the workplace, men learn about gender balance by taking on new and bigger roles in the home.  

The 2021 State of the World’s Fathers Report highlights exactly how countries and companies can accelerate this transition. The report outlines clear and pragmatic steps on how to make it happen and addresses the challenge from three angles.

First, it examines what men’s involvement in care looks like now and what it could look like if equality is achieved. Second, it hones in on COVID’s impact on unpaid care and whether national policies are promoting equal care. Finally, it provides seven key actions to promote more equitable care which is key to creating inclusive workplaces where women and men can thrive collectively.