According to a recent UN Women study, decision-makers in the Arab world are largely supportive of paternal leave and men’s childcare involvement.
On September 25, an event in Amman, Jordan, saw the presentation of UN Women’s most recent book, “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Institutional Actors on Paternity Leave and the Role of Men in Childcare in the MENA Region.”
This regional survey has gathered opinions from 1,154 decision-makers in five Arab nations about men’s involvement in childcare and paternity leave in efforts to raise public awareness of this important subject.
Decision-makers and influencers in Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine responded to an online poll for the study.
Contrary to common belief, UN Women’s research showed that decision-makers in the Arab world strongly support paternity leave and men’s involvement in childcare.
The study offered useful suggestions for facilitating legislative and regulatory changes that support men’s engagement in childcare.
Raising public awareness of the advantages of males participating in childcare, extending childcare services and family-friendly workplace practices, and promoting lengthier paternity leave through legal reforms were some of the recommendations.
The report also made clear that, despite enduring traditional gender stereotypes and discriminatory societal norms, the Arab world is beginning to understand the importance of caring practices and parental responsibilities for achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Sadly, paternity leave is almost nonexistent, except for 15 days in Morocco, according to the research presented during a press conference at the launch event. Maternity leave in the area spans from 50 to 120 days.
The typical paternity leave period lasts just three days.
The survey also emphasized the low proportion of male actors who were the primary caregivers, which ranged from 0% in Lebanon to 1–6% in other nations.
Indicating the predominance of gendered norms in the area, the majority of male respondents selected women as the primary carers for children.
When asked about the benefits of unpaid childcare for society, the panelists emphasized that increased male participation can improve spousal relationships, decrease domestic violence, improve mental health for everyone in the family, and promote gender-equitable behaviors and attitudes, all of which can benefit future generations.
The promising results of this study, which focuses on decision-makers, confirmed those of earlier research by UN Women from 2017 to 2022, which showed that most men in the Arab region want to spend more time with their children.
The new paper presents optimistic insights into how to encourage men’s involvement in childcare and how it can benefit men, women, families, society, and economies in the MENA area and elsewhere.
