On November 10, 2014, the first day of the MenEngage Global Symposium in New Delhi, India, MenCare held a daylong advocacy workshop around the campaign’s forthcoming State of the World’s Fathers report. More than 60 people attended the workshop, discussing ways to use the report as a tool for policy, media, and community advocacy around involved fatherhood and caregiving worldwide.
Four out of five men will become fathers at some point in their lives, and virtually all men have some connection to children and others in caregiving relationships. However, the involvement of men in caregiving has seldom been part of the global efforts to promote gender equality and prevent violence.
The MenCare Campaign will launch the first State of the World’s Fathers report in June 2015, highlighting research, data, policies, and programs from around the world related to men’s participation in caregiving and fatherhood. It defines a global advocacy agenda for involving men and boys in care as part of the solution to achieve gender equality and other positive outcomes for women, children, and men themselves.
The workshop in New Delhi included an introduction to the State of the World’s Fathers report and its goals, an overview of advocacy and media strategies, and presentations about advocacy campaigns related to fatherhood and caregiving. The event also allowed participants to provide inputs into the policy asks, and included a discussion on how the report would be most useful for their specific advocacy efforts.
Using global data on men’s involvement in caregiving and maternal and child health, and on the connections between fatherhood and violence, the report aims to provide the basis for concentrated social, political, and healthcare initiatives; broad institutional change; and public awareness to bring about a transformation toward equitable, involved fatherhood.
For more information about the report, or to contribute ideas, research, or program examples, please contact MenCare Global Co-Coordinator Ruti Levtov.