The Role of Fathers in Parenting for Gender Equality
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The role of fathers in Parenting for programs interacting with families actively promote gender equality and challenge restrictive norms, so that gender equality relationships, roles, institutional practices and services Clara Alemann1, Aapta Garg2, & Kristina Vlahovicova3 - can gradually evolve to create peaceful, non-violent and Promundo-US equitable societies and contribute to achieve SDG 16. Father–child relationships “be they positive, Men’s positive engagement as fathers goes well beyond negative or lacking, at any stage in the life of them stepping in to perform childcare and domestic the child, and in all cultural and ethnic tasks. This paper understands the concept of male communities – have profound and wide-ranging engagement as fathers to encompass their active impacts on children that last a lifetime”. participation in protecting and promoting the health, (Fatherhood Institute and MenCare) wellbeing and development of their partners and children. It also involves them being emotionally connected with their children and partners (even when 1. Introduction they may not be living together),–including through emotional, physical and financial support. It also means Fathers have a profound and lasting impact on their that men take joint responsibility with their partner for children’s development. As stated in the Nurturing Care the workload -including unpaid care work, child rearing, Framework (World Health Organization, 2018), parents and paid work outside the home – and foster a and caregivers are the most important providers of respectful and caring co-parent or /and couple nurturing care for children, and while women have relationship if living together; make informed decisions historically taken the role of principal caregivers, this with their partners and support their partner’s strategic document recognizes the need to support autonomous decision-making; resolve conflicts in a fathers and male caregivers to assume a central constructive and peaceful way and work to prevent parenting role, together with the children’s mothers or violence by promoting caring and respectful relationships female caregivers, as in practice, men’s involvement in in the family (Plan International & Promundo-US, 2020). childrearing although increasing, is still limited across the world. Several constraints and barriers exist to men’s The second section of this paper highlights evidence engagement as active and caring fathers in the lives of showing how positive male engagement can contribute their children at a normative, policy, community and to children’s physical and mental health, better cognitive individual level. Globally, dominant restrictive gender development and higher educational achievement, as norms not only discourage men from becoming more well as have a profound impact on children’s future actively involved in caregiving and domestic relationships as parents and partners. Moreover, positive responsibilities, but also justify men’s violence and male engagement can also contribute to their female control over both women and children (Heise et al., partner’s emotional well-being, help redress gender 2019). Harmful norms that underpin patriarchal systems, inequitable relationships and power imbalances in promote a version of masculinity based on family decision-making within the household and is essential for headship and economic provision, control and the use of women’s participation in the labor market. Male violence to resolve conflicts including wife-beating and engagement can contribute to preventing violence in corporal punishment of children (Heilman & Barker, their families and ultimately, contribute to more 2018; The Prevention Collaborative, 2019). While equitable and peaceful societies. The third section evidence demonstrates the significant impact of fathers identifies the existing obstacles to men’s engagement as on children’s early development, parenting and caregiver fathers; the fourth section provides examples of good support programs primarily focus on mothers and female practices and interventions that have addressed these caregivers based on the traditional sexual division of constraints to engaging men through an intentional labor and caregiving. Engaging men fully in their role as focus on promoting gender equality and the nurturing caregivers and supportive partners alone is not transformation of restrictive gender norms, and have sufficient. It requires at its core that policies and proved effective in enhancing children’s, female partners 1 Director of Programs 3 Research Officer 2 Senior Program Officer 1 and families’ well-being. Finally, in the fifth and sixth Tamis-Lemonda, 2013; Henry et al., 2020; Jeong et al., section, the paper offers conclusions, and research, 2016; Jeong et al., 2017; Jia et al., 2012; Lamb, 2004; policy and programmatic recommendations to promote Roggman et al., 2007). Fathers’ promotion of early the engagement of men in caregiving as equitable, learning, language and literacy also has an enormous affectionate and non-violent fathers. impact on the developmental trajectory of children, determining their school readiness and achievement from early education through adulthood (Downer et al., 2. The importance of fathers in parenting 2008; Duursma, 2004; Jeynes, 2015; McWayne et al., education 2013; Saracho, 2007; Tamis-Lemonda et al., 2013). In later years, qualitative and correlational studies have Over the last four decades, efforts by researchers and found that father involvement plays a role in promoting practitioners have contributed to increase the body of healthy nutrition and exercise in children (Garfield et al., evidence that improved the conceptualization and 2012) as well as in protecting children’s mental health understanding of the myriad ways fathers can positively against psychological maladjustment and distress impact the health and wellbeing of children. Though (particularly in girls) throughout adolescence and into most of the research is from the Global North, it has adulthood (Allgood et al., 2012; Flouri & Buchanan, become clear that fathers can and do distinctly 2003). Father involvement has also been linked to contribute to foundational components for children’s improved peer relations and higher self-esteem and life growth and development including nutrition and safety, satisfaction, lower rates of depression, fear and self- early learning and responsive care (WHO, 2018). Fathers’ doubt (Alloy et al., 2001; Burgess, 2006; Levtov et al., positive engagement in their children’s upbringing has 2015). been linked to children’s improved physical and mental health, better cognitive development and educational Fathers have a significant role in the ways children are achievement, improved peer relations and capacity for disciplined in the home. Experiencing harsh punishment empathy, fewer behavioral problems (in boys) and at the hands of fathers is strongly linked to negative psychological problems (in girls), higher self-esteem and outcomes across the lifespan. Children who suffer life satisfaction, lower rates of depression, fear and self- physical and emotional violence by a parent or caregiver doubt into adulthood, lower rates of criminality and see their physical and mental health negatively impacted substance abuse, and more openness to critically well into adulthood (Know Violence in Childhood, 2017; examining traditional gendered roles (Levtov et al., UNICEF, 2014). But, even though mothers can and do 2015). There are direct and indirect hypothesized use harsh forms of punishment as well, fathers’ use of pathways through which fathers (both residential and harsh punishment has been discretely linked to negative non-residential) impact child development (Cabrera et outcomes across the lifespan and therefore their al., 2000). They can directly contribute to enhanced child significant role in preventing it should be underscored. In development outcomes such as cognitive, language, and particular, fathers’ use of harsh verbal and physical socio-emotional skills through stimulation, nurturing discipline has been associated with later behavioral interactions as well as through providing nutritious meals problems such as child aggression particularly in boys, and promoting their development and health. They can even if they make regular use of positive discipline also impact child outcomes by affecting the quality of the techniques as well (Chang et al., 2003; McKee et al., home environment through modeling equitable co- 2007). Conversely, the reduction in the use of harsh parenting partnerships, engaging in joint decision-making discipline by fathers has been linked to the improvement and responsibility for domestic work, and through of child early learning, cognitive and socioemotional positive and non-violent conflict resolution. development (Palm & Fagan, 2008; Sarkadi et al., 2008). Fathers play a critical role in children’s physical and Men’s use of violence against women also affects mental health and wellbeing, particularly in the early children’s development in the short and long term. Child years. Fathers’ active and engaged involvement in exposure to intimate partner violence can have long- childrearing through responsive care and stimulation has term health and social consequences similar to those of demonstrated positive outcomes in early learning and child abuse and neglect (Guedes et al., 2016). Children cognition, as well as socio-emotional development who witness violence in the home are at risk for trauma (Baker, 2017; Bronte-Tinkew