The State of the World’s Fathers 2021 report – the fourth in the series – presents research on care work during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on structural barriers that prevent equitable distribution of caregiving between women and men. While data show that men are participating more in care work during the pandemic, data also show that the world is a long way off from achieving full equality in care work.
The report addresses this challenge from three angles. First, it examines what “men’s involvement in care” looks like now and what it could look like if equality is achieved. Second, it hones in on COVID-19’s impact on unpaid care work and whether national COVID-19 policies are promoting equal care. Finally, it provides seven key actions – from the individual to the structural level – to promote more equitable care and, ultimately, a more caring world.
