State of the World’s Fathers, a landmark analysis of fatherhood and caregiving, draws upon research and statistics from hundreds of studies covering all countries in the world with available data. An advocacy tool for the MenCare campaign, the report provides recommendations for policy and programmatic action. It targets governments, employers, and individuals around the world to promote involved fatherhood and caregiving.
Launched in June 2015 in 10 cities around the world, the first State of the World’s Fathers (SOWF) report provides a periodic, data-driven snapshot of the state of men’s contributions to parenting and caregiving globally by addressing four issues related to fatherhood: unpaid care work in the home; sexual and reproductive health and rights, and maternal, newborn, and child health; men’s caregiving and violence against children and women; and child development.
Using global data on men’s involvement in caregiving and maternal and child health, and on the connections between fatherhood and violence, the report provides the basis for concentrated social, political, and healthcare initiatives; broad institutional change; and public awareness to bring about a transformation toward equitable, involved fatherhood. It defines a global agenda for involving men and boys as part of the solution to achieve gender equality and positive outcomes in the lives of women, children, and men themselves.
Since its launch, the first SOWF report has been viewed more than 10,000 times, and it has received significant media attention, featured in news outlets reaching at least 2.2 billion across broadcast, online, and social media.
The report has also serves as a tool for activism and advocacy for MenCare partners around the world, launched with government officials at the United States Congress, as well as at Parliaments in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and more. The report’s executive summary has been or is in the process of being translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Serbian, Albanian, and other languages, and regional or country-specific reports have been developed for Africa and for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as for Australia, Brazil, Uganda, Pakistan, and the Netherlands.