Why fathers’ care matters: Enabling gender equity in care and work

Fathers’ participation in caring for young children provides life-long opportunities for fathers, their partners and children. However, there continue to be entrenched social and structural barriers to fathers’ equal participation in care (e.g. only 2% of Australian fathers access government paid parental leave as a primary-carer).

The goal of this forum is to share our knowledge of why fathers’ care matters and what barriers prevent fathers from successfully combining work with care. The forum will include presentations from leading researchers (Professor Lyndall Strazdins (The ANU), A/Professor Richard Fletcher (University of Newcastle), Dr Jenny Baxter (Australian Institute of Family Studies), and Professor Jan Nicholson (La Trobe University). There will be a panel discussion with policy and industry experts - led by Parents at Work CEO Emma Walsh, with representatives from Westpac, the Workplace Gender Equity Agency, Deloitte, and The Department of Social Services, as well as engaging perspectives from fathers. We aim to set a clear research agenda for the next 5-10 years to take this issue forward. We welcome input from policy makers, industry experts, researchers, and parents from the general community to identify barriers to change and to generate a range of possible solutions.

Industry and Policy panel discussion:

Emma Walsh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Parents at Work, will lead an industry and policy panel discussion. Emma established Parents at Work to support mums, dads and their organisations to better manage the challenges of juggling work and family life. Panellists include representatives from Westpac, the Workplace Gender Equity Agency (WGEA), Deloitte, and the Department of Social Services.

Fathers' Perspectives panel discussion:

Dr Amanda Cooklin (La Trobe University) and Dr Liana Leach (The ANU) will lead a discussion with fathers about the challenges they face combining work and care. We look forward to hearing from Thomas Docking (founder of Dads Groups) and Robert Sturrock (guest writer Women's Agenda).

Register for this event

Please contact Lou Farrer on Louise.Farrer@anu.edu.au for further enquiries.

This forum is proudly brought to you by the Gender Institute and the Judith Lumley Centre (La Trobe University).