Happy father's Day! Father's participation in family education is crucial to gender equality in the world!

June 16, 2019 / BIOON / - as father's Day approaches, we should reflect on the impact of childcare on families and children Fathers may want to stay at home and raise their children, but this often doesn't work financially A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in the United States found that fathers and mothers who worked outside said they were more likely to have children at home (48% of fathers and 52% of mothers) Globally, paternity leave can increase father's participation in the family, which is good for children, both parents, the Father himself, the economy and society When Quebec began to take father's leave, 85.8% of new fathers took five weeks' leave, while in the rest of Canada, only 30% of fathers took the same parental leave There are many factors that affect mothers' work outside the home, including expectations of fathers' work and family roles Fathers who think they are the family's main source of income often work longer hours, which can lead to family and work conflicts When the mother and father raise their children together as husband and wife, when the father actively participates in the affairs of the child, and the mother believes that the father is a partner and caregiver, the mother tends to be more willing to leave the child and return to work Parents have to decide what is best for their family Affordable and accessible child health care is the key for families to decide whether their parents are willing to work outside the home More fathers stay at home most fathers (90%) say parenting is their greatest pleasure Fathers provide their children with unique and diverse experiences and influence their long-term development Changes have also taken place within Canadian families, with more fathers staying at home to care for their children Photo source: https://theconversation.com being an active father will make men happier and healthier, and contribute to family participation and gender equality of future generations: when fathers participate in children's lives, daughters are more likely to have greater career aspirations, and sons are more likely to be good life partners Gender equality refers to the rights, responsibilities and opportunities that do not depend on a person's inherent gender, while gender equality refers to the fair treatment of men and women according to people's needs Changing the social structure and providing gender equality and equity will make our children thrive However, in the process of raising children, the role of the main caregiver is still borne by the mother for many reasons The wage gap between men and women remains large According to a survey released by Statistics Canada in 2017, women make up only 75% of men's income If part-time employees are included, the gap will widen - women's income is only 69% of men's In addition, women with children earn 12 to 20 percent less than women without children Globally, when men and women have children, the wage gap will become larger, men's wages will increase, and women's wages will decline after the birth of the child In countries with a more equal view of raising children, the wage gap is smaller There is a global phenomenon called maternal punishment Researchers in Denmark, a country with a high level of gender equality, found that women's incomes fell sharply after having their first child and never fully recovered This is not the case for men with children This phenomenon exists in rich countries, and highlights that as long as mothers still bear the burden of family work disproportionately after the birth of children, wage inequality may continue to exist Early childhood educators: underestimated in rich countries such as Canada, the proportion of women in low-income jobs is often too high (48.9%) Among the occupations with the lowest wages and the worst working conditions, there are early childhood educators Women account for 98.2% of staff and directors in the early childhood education industry These educators continue to be underrated Although childcare staff are in regulated occupations, their income is only 69% of the average wage for all occupations For children, there are great benefits to experiencing both men and women in the role of care and early learning But often, men - who tend to be socialized and see themselves as the main economic pillar - cannot afford to work as early childhood educators Photo source: https://theconversation.com on the contrary, the proportion of women in high-income jobs is much lower than that of men Of the top 1% of the population, about 20% of these top earning positions are held by women The world without men cannot continue Our children cannot continue to grow up in a world where only women raise them, whether at home or in early learning and care Countries like Canada can support this necessary change by providing high-quality universal child health care, while fostering a more stable early childhood career, and by deliberately creating a more gender balanced early childhood workforce By increasing the wages and working conditions of all early childhood educators, and providing guidance for men entering early childhood education, the whole world of early childhood learning and care can be enriched, so that children can experience more caregivers At the same time, the government and society can benefit economically by investing more in high-quality early learning and care: for every dollar invested, the income varies from $1.50 to nearly $3, while children with poor socio-economic environment benefit more This investment will contribute to the long-term development outcomes of children On father's day, we call for more fathers and men to come out and engage in global dialogue to create a world of gender equality Gender equality improves everyone's quality of life and work Reference materials: [1] family's Day: involved dads are healthy and happier [2] early childhood education has widespread and long lasting benefits [3] overview of child care waves 2000-2010 [4] economic quality by gender [5] women and paid work [6] why we need gender equity now [7] the effects of involved Fatherhood on Families， and How Fathers can be  Supported both at the Workplace and in the Home 【8】 Changing profile of stay-at-home parents 【9】 Tuning In： Parents of Young Children Tell Us What They Think， Know and Need 【10】Helen Norman et al Does Fathers' Involvement in Childcare and Housework Affect Couples' Relationship Stability？ Social Science Quarterly DOI：https：//doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12523 【11】 Gender role beliefs and fathers' work-family conflict 【12】Cassie Rushing et al Family Dynamics of the Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship American Journal of Men's Health DOI：https：//doi.org/10.1177/1557988314549414 【13】 Father's Day.. by the numbers 【14】 8 facts about American dads