“Paternity rights make a better society”- Interview 8- Cecilia
the Liberal Party, and has an active interest in gender equality
issues.
As Cecilia makes clear, Sweden is further ahead than many countries in
terms of allowing women equal rights to men, not through some
long-term cultural tradition but through specific political decisions
made in recent times. Foremost for Cecilia is paternity rights for
fathers- allowing men to share looking after the children at a young
age.
In the UK, where is the movement for fathers to have equal rights to
raising the child? All we seem to have is fathers for justice, who are
sidelined because of their stunts and antics. There is no mainstream
voice calling for father’s rights, and if men do want the opportunity
more, they are not saying it out loud.
In terms of a lesson we can learn from Sweden, this is a bit of a
no-brainer for me. Extend paternity rights, and see both women and men
benefit.
I find your post on paternity rights engages me and hope it takes shape to relfect what already happens when fathers take a proper place in their children’s lives.
I completely agree. I just checked statutory rights for paternity compared to maternity leave in the UK and the disparity is quite shocking. I don’t understand how this difference can exist when politicians continually emphasise the improtance of the nuclear family and gender equality.
I agree with Cecilia. It is about equal opportunity and equal rights; including pay, leave, working conditions , career structure
For the family it is about joint responsibility in bringing up a family . Men should have the opportunity to be a ‘house husband’ and the woman can be the main income earner too.
The role of the housewife or husband should be just as valued as the bread winner.