This post was originally published in Portuguese on Equimundo’s website.
In Brazil, Father’s Day is celebrated each year on the second Sunday of August. This year, Equimundo and other MenCare partners in Brazil used the month of August to raise awareness about the importance of men’s positive involvement in fatherhood and caregiving.
Throughout the month, Você é meu Pai, which is the Brazilian adaptation of the global MenCare campaign, along with Dá licença, eu sou pai, a campaign which advocates for the expansion of paid paternity leave in Brazil, used social media to discuss progress and challenges in Brazil related policies that promote men’s caregiving.
On August 27, Equimundo participated in National Construction Day, an annual event sponsored by the Social Service Sector of the Construction Industry of Rio de Janeiro (SECONCI-Rio). At the event, Equimundo hosted a booth, which showcased posters from the Brazilian MenCare campaign and provided information on engaging men in the care and education their children. Construction workers and their families also participated in group conversations about involved parenthood.
On August 30 and 31, Brazil’s National Early Childhood Network (Rede Nacional Primeira Infância, in Portuguese, or RNPI), of which Equimundo is a member, held its Second National Seminar on Parenting and Early Childhood. The seminar focused on the discussion of public policies to promote early childhood care, paternity and maternity leave, and acceptance of diverse family configurations. Participants discussed the impacts of expanding parental leave and promoting gender equality.
The seminar also featured several special events, including the launch of Equimundo’s State of Brazil’s Fathers report, the presentation of Instituto Papai’s Dá licença, eu sou pai campaign, and a showing of and conversation about Instituto Alana’s film The Beginning of Life.