The MenCare global poster series, first created in 2011 when MenCare was launched, carries the 10 foundational images and messages of the campaign. Each poster focuses on practical ways that men can be involved in their children’s lives: from showing affection, to taking them to the doctor, or reading to them, and more. This year, MenCare partners from Nigeria, India, Turkey, Italy, and Albania answered the call for submissions to participate in the first-ever MenCare Photo Contest 2019.
The entries demonstrate the scale of work that nearly 100 MenCare partners, in over 55 countries, have both committed themselves to and accomplished in the years that have passed since the campaign’s launch. “I am so happy that caring fatherhood is getting important all over the world. Thank you!” says Michael Bockhorni, Director of väter aktiv, a MenCare Italy partner.
A number of amazing photos were submitted and posted on social media to the MenCare Facebook page. Users voted upon photo entries with comments, likes, and shares of the photos, celebrating those that best embodied themes of modern fatherhood, caregiving, and gender equitable families.
Dozens of day-to-day moments in the world of parenting and caregiving were captured with diverse fluidity, depicting healthy examples of ways in which fathers interact with and care for their children, such as an adult nephew knitting and sewing with his child’s grandmother, a father grooming his daughter’s hair before school, a father bathing with his toddler, and a husband joining his wife to sing lullabies to their infant child after feeding.
Organized by Equimundo on behalf of MenCare, the contest was carried out with the aim of promoting gender equality by raising awareness via care-activated modern fatherhood through a gender equitable lens.
The most gratifying aspect of the contest was the thought and care invested in the conceptualization and visual embodiment of modern fatherhood, caregiving, and gender equity. Dr. Christopher Ugwu, Executive Director of Society for the Improvement of Rural People (SIRP), a MenCare partner in Nigeria, says, “Indeed, we are ALL winners, especially in our deep commitment to debunk patriarchy and embrace gender justice and equity.”
For this reason, we are thrilled to announce that all 13 finalist submissions will be printed and featured at the MenCare Global Meeting 2019 in Rabat, Morocco, and will be featured across social media and MenCare communications moving forward. Select photos will then become the face of the new MenCare global poster series in 2020.
Congratulations to the winners and all participants. We all win when men care.
First Place Winner: Photographer, Shreeti Shakya
“It is a great honor and opportunity to have our work featured at the MenCare Global Meeting. The fathers featured in the photos and the grassroots organization are equally excited. It was nice to see the fathers from other countries and our shared work featured. The photos were all so beautiful.”- Shreeti Shakya, Research Assistant for Centre for Health and Social Justice
Caption: Dressing up with Dad makes the best start to our day.
Photo Subjects: Jotiba Chaudhari and daughter, Sayai Chaudhari
Second Place Winner: Photographer, Rimjhim Jain
“Thank you, all MenCare partners. I loved all the photos and what they signify. I’m glad they’ll all be exhibited.” – Rimjhim Jain, Programme Manager for the Centre for Health and Social Justice
Caption: Double the Joy. Location of the photo is the state of Jharkhand in India, where the Center for Health and Social Justice has been implementing the programme, ‘Enabling Men as Responsible Partners and Caring Fathers.
Photo Subjects: Ravi Oraon, father of twins; daughter, Kaveri, in green dress, and son, Krishna
Third Place Winner: Photographer, Luli Ndreu
Caption: “Not doing the things that women do, does not make you a man, but a coward, a coward who is afraid of the words of gossip.” – Orden Ura, Activist