It’s time to complete the gender revolution. We fought for women’s rights in the public realms of politics and work. It is now time to fight for men’s equal rights within families.
It starts at conception. Today, men have little control over whether a pregnancy shall be carried out or terminated. Meanwhile, couple instability has rendered men’s relationships to their own and other children increasingly complex. Fathers have a greater responsibility to provide for their non-coresident children, but have fewer chances of spending time with them. Step-fathers invest in their relationships with step-children, but these ties are virtually ignored in court. Regulations across Europe vary but generally focus far more on enforcing fathers’ support obligations than their rights. But men increasingly want more responsibility vis-à-vis their children. Let’s let them pitch in.
Research shows that everyone benefits – women, children, and men – when men are regularly involved in children’s lives. We set our agenda to include the next steps of the gender revolution and men’s equal rights (and duties) in our research. It’s time for policymakers to do the same.
Laura Bernardi, University of Lausanne, Switzerland