10 Mar 2019

Equal parenting has positive effects on both society and individuals, says Swedish Ambassador to Botswana, Ms Cecilia Julin says

Speaking at the Swedish Botswana Dads Photo exhibition at Thapong last week, Ms Julin said men’s involvement as fathers and caregivers was of tremendous importance to women’s lives. 

She noted that fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives had been linked to higher cognitive development and academic achievement, improved mental health for boys and girls as well as lower rates of delinquencies. 

She stated that the involvement of fathers before, during and after the birth of a child has positive effects on maternal health behaviour, women’s use of maternal and new-born health services and fathers’ support and involvement in the lives of their children. 

She added that involved fatherhood allowed women and girls to achieve their full potential. 

Ms Julin said women, children and men benefitted when fathers claimed parental leave, adding that leave for fathers was a vital step towards recognition of the importance of shared caregiving as well as being an important means of promoting the well-being of children and gender equality in the home, workplace and society. 

The Swedish government, she stated, has one of the most generous parental insurance schemes as parents were allowed to stay home with their children for 480 days, all paid for by the state, with 90 of the days reserved for each parent exclusively. 

Despite the scheme, Ms Julin said only a fraction of Swedish fathers choose to claim all their statutory days of parental leave, adding that only 14 per cent choose to share them equally. 

She said her government was working hard to reach the equal distribution of parental leave by 2030. 

Ms Julin also stated that greater involvement by men also brought economic benefits, adding that if women participated in the labour market to the same extent as men, the gross domestic product (GDP) has the possibility of significantly increasing. 

Meanwhile, Men and Boys for Gender Quality leader, Mr Desmond Lunga encouraged men to be actively involved in their children’ care as early as confinement. 

Although he respects culture and acknowledges that traditionally men were not allowed in the delivery room at birth, Mr Lunga encouraged men to be in the delivery room during their children’s birth, saying it created a bond. 

He said the exhibition encouraged fathers and men to be part of their children’ upbringing and to also lobby for parental leave. 

Panelists at the exhibition explained that fatherhood issues needed to be taken seriously for effective parenting, emphasising the importance of a present father in the child’s upbringing. 

They noted that not only a biological father could help shape a child’s future, but that a father figure was equally important as a role model for the child.

They added that the role of a father figure or father could not be overemphasised, and that it should be celebrated and promoted. 

They challenged culture, saying it should be interrogated to establish the negative attitude of parenting by men.

They argued that fatherhood was not only about provision, but also role modeling, care and education. 

The Swedish Botswana Dads Photo exhibition was aimed to show the positive effects of a generous parental insurance system and gender equality in parenting on both individuals and society. ENDS