Promoting equal parenthood

Working with children and parents is important from a gender equality perspective. Sharing the responsibilities of parenthood equally is not only important for individual families; it is also crucial for increasing gender equality and reducing violence in society. MÄN has over 20 years of experience in promoting men’s caregiving and active fatherhood. We offer further training in gender-equal parenthood to people who encounter parents in their professional roles and actively work to form and support father groups.

We encourage fathers and men to take equal responsibility for children and household work nationally and internationally. In Sweden, MÄN offers father groups and discussion materials for new fathers and fathers-to-be, as well as training programmes for nursing staff and others who work with parents. We put pressure on politicians to invest more resources in other initiatives that promote gender-equal parenthood.

Internationally, we support and exchange information with organisations that work with parenthood. Over the years we have collaborated with numerous actors worldwide to develop and adapt methods and materials for the promotion of gender equality among fathers, or shared lessons and experiences from the Swedish context through training programmes and international study visits. MÄN is also a partner in the global campaign MenCare, which works to increase men’s involvement as parents and their participation in caregiving work. Read more about the campaign.

We also offer study visits on gender equal parenthood, focused on both practical and theoretical aspects of the work. Read more here.

MÄN’s father groups

Father groups are a way for men to take increased responsibility for parenthood, relationships and caregiving. Many men only begin reflecting on their own behaviour and how it impacts others’ lives when they become fathers. In other words, becoming a father is an important window for changing destructive masculinity norms. MÄN’s father groups provide an opportunity to reflect on questions such as: How am I as a caregiver? How am I relative to my partner? What responsibility do I take in parenthood?

MÄN currently has over 50 father group facilitators who work on a voluntary basis all over the country. In 2020 we began digital training programmes and groups, which means we can give more fathers the opportunity to deepen their parenthood.

Father groups for people born outside Sweden

In addition to MÄN’s father groups in Sweden, in 2021 we started a project together with the organisation Svenska med baby. In this project, we want to support connections between new and established Swedes through open father groups and activities, where fathers and children can meet, have coffee and practice their Swedish, if needed. The purpose is to contribute to more gender-equal parenthood and to strengthen participating parents in their parenthood.

Read more