Equimundo News – 7th Edition

For Equimundo, August is Fatherhood Appreciation Month. Thus, this newsletter is dedicated to all men who participate in caregiving tasks, domestic chores and doling out affection, as fathers or otherwise. Worldwide, women and girls continue to take on the majority of all domestic responsibilities, despite representing 40% of the paid workforce. The limited participation of men in care-related tasks (namely the care for children and others within the family) remains a large obstacle to gender equality and women’s autonomy. Therefore, valuing fatherhood means privileging fairer relationships between men and women.

This year, Equimundo has played an integral role in advancing fatherhood as a focus. Active in 25 countries, the Global Fatherhood Campaign, MenCare (www.promundo.lndo.site/men-care), coordinated by Equimundo and Sonke Gender Justice, brought together partners from different world regions in Cape Town, South Africa, to discuss the campaign’s future and exchange experiences on working in fatherhood. The fatherhood campaign “Você é meu pai!” [in English, “You are my father!”], was launched in Brazil in 2012; the campaign has produced and disseminated publications, data and campaign materials through the website voceemeupai.com. The project “Mais Pai!” or “MenCare+,” funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands is taking off in Brazil, Rwanda, South Africa and Indonesia; In Brazil, “Mais Pai!” is developing a communication campaign together with middle school children from the public education system in Rio de Janeiro. The campaign will be launched in November 2013.

This month, Equimundo is supporting the National Seminar on Fatherhood and Care in the Single Health System (SUS), which was held by the Ministry of Health on August 21st-23rd. Eduardo Chakora, coordinator of the Men’s Health Section of the Ministry of Health, talks about the issue in the article “National Seminar on Fatherhood and Care in the Single Health System Network (SUS) Discusses”.

In this edition of Equimundo News we also interview Patrick Godana, from Sonke Gender Justice, a South African non-governmental organization. He narrates his experience of working on fatherhood issues in South Africa and reflects upon the importance of engaging men in caregiving tasks in the African context.

The involvement of men in caregiving and fatherhood is an integral step towards achieving gender equality, and Equimundo is excited about and invested in this path.

Enjoy the reading!