State of Europe’s Fathers: Men’s Caregiving in the European Union

Abstract

Gender equality is one of the founding values of the EU and Member States have established the promotion of the equality of men and women in the labour market, as well as in their work-life balance and responsibilities as priorities for the EU. Data shows that increasingly women and men work outside the home, but, at the same time, women remain the main household caregivers and take on a double burden in the private domain. Although true equality between men and women will only be achieved when men take on 50 percent of the caregiving and domestic work, equal distribution is the exception rather than the rule. This report explores trends in men’s caregiving in Europe (with a particular focus on fatherhood) and five key areas for change: implementing laws and policies to promote gender equality; transforming gender norms that reproduce harmful gender stereotypes; supporting the physical and financial security of families; helping couples and co-parents thrive together; and, putting fathers care into action. The main objective of the State of Europe´s Fathers is to contribute to theoretical and policy approaches that understand how gender equality, including caregiving, constitutes a collective social good to be promoted in general and in particular in times of crisis and develop an evidence-based and detailed roadmap for social policies toward gender equality and men’s greater participation in caregiving. By taking into account the current state-of-the-art of gender-based violence prevention and gender justice, this report focuses on concrete strategies for promoting gender equality in Europe and the engagement of men in caregiving and unpaid care work as a way to prevent gender-based violence and promote healthy and more equal gender relations.