Currently, in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), barriers like traditional gender norms, legal custody barriers, and socioeconomic pressure discourage men from actively engaging in caregiver and parenting roles. Evidence shows that equitable fatherhood has many benefits including better child development and health for the father, which also allows women to have more opportunities in the labour market and in society. By implementing recommended policies and programs, men in LAC may be more empowered to fulfil fatherhood roles, which will improve gender equity both inside and out of the household and come with many improvements to health.
Work programmes and policies that support and promote men’s fatherhood and share responsibilities, such as paid paternity leave, contributes to men’s greater engagement in caregiving and parenting. Greater participation of men in daily caregiving and parenting improves children’s development and well-being and contributes to gender equality.
Further data collection on the positive effects of policies and programs on fatherhood involvement is needed to increase institutes involvement in creating more of these policies.
Designing sexual education programs aimed at men and boys not only helps increase male’s knowledge of sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortions, sexual assault, etc. It also educates men on their active role in women’s sexual and reproductive choices that leads them to assume equal responsibility for the consequences of these choices.
Social and community campaigns to alter norms around male participation in caregiving and housework, helps promote positive involvement by men and fathers in housework and caregiving, and encourages nonviolence and shared responsibilities attitudes.
