Launching Thursday, June 18, before Father’s Day 2020:
Join us in showing each other how you care for your children – as well as your family, your community, and yourself – and in advocating for support for all parents and caregivers
Visit the social media toolkit to download #HowICare graphics and messaging.
About the #HowICare Campaign
Join us June 18, 2020 in advance of Father’s Day (in many countries): #HowICare, led by Equimundo and Oxfam, is an international project of MenCare: A Global Fatherhood Campaign.
The #HowICare Campaign, launching June 18, 2020, is led by Equimundo and Oxfam as an international project of MenCare: A Global Fatherhood Campaign, active in more than 55 countries. A data-informed social media campaign, #HowICare aims to shed a light on the realities, difficulties, and disparities of providing care – specifically in caring for children, in order to advocate for additional support for caregivers – including the parents and care workers who are most impacted – during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. It also aims to activate men as individuals, employers, and advocates in ensuring that care is a collective responsibility: shared equally and supported by structures and policies. This international campaign will feature new, rapid response polling data from the United States, Canada, UK, Philippines, and Kenya.
It will build on the expertise of more than 100 partners in 55+ countries, and it aims to shed light on the ways individuals around the world are going above and beyond to make sure their families are taken care of, to create a global dialogue and sense of community, and to advocate for policy change and funding to support parents and all caregivers. This moment and Father’s Day also provides a time in particular for men – as individuals, employers, and advocates – to join as full partners in ensuring that care is a collective responsibility: shared equally and supported by structures and policies.
On Thursday, June 18, join us on Twitter, using #HowICare and tagging @MenCareGlobal (as well as @Equimundo_US, @Oxfam, and @OxfamAmerica).
Why a #HowICare Campaign
We are in an unprecedented position to re-think what it means to take care of our loved ones, our communities, and ourselves. The responsibility of parenting (as well as other unpaid care responsibilities) – which women around the world take on at a greater rate – are shifting and increasing. Our circles of care are expanding too. This shift, brought on by the spread of COVID-19, has been accompanied by stress, confusion, and uncertainty. It’s also bringing many of us back to what matters, to who matters, and to how we can support one another.
Globally, we know that women carry out three times the amount of household and child care that men do (women also make up more than 80 percent of paid care workers, from health services to early childhood). Now more than ever we need a radical shift: in who does the care work at home – with men taking on an equal share – in how we support those who do the care work within our communities, and in how we support parents and caregivers to care for children – particularly those who are most impacted, including: single parents, people of color (particularly in the Global North), essential workers, and low-income families. The work of caring for children – and others – needs to be valued, paid, supported, and fully equal in terms of men doing their fair and equal share, both in paid and unpaid care work.
The Global Asks
Join us in advocating to accelerate men’s uptake of 50 percent of the unpaid care work and government policies to support all caregivers.
- All individuals to have access to paid sick and family and medical leave at work and to strengthen and expand workers’ protections to include caregiving needs.
- The amount of paid leave to be increased, paid at 100%, and to be available to be taken for a wide range of reasons.
- Equal, fully paid, non-transferable parental leave for all parents, as a supplement to maternity leave, not an alternative; and family leave for all.
- Immediate action to ensure that existing childcare infrastructures survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The challenging and changing of harmful norms and sexist beliefs – particularly when it comes to the notion of care being women’s responsibility alone.
- Flexible working hours and conditions as well as schedule control for employees.
- Social protection programs to support caregivers and recognize care as work.
Who can participate and how?
For one week, launching Thursday, June 18 through Wednesday, June 24 – in the lead up to and following Father’s Day (June 21, in many countries):
We are asking individuals, organizations, and employers to join us on Twitter, using #HowICare and tagging @MenCareGlobal (as well as @Equimundo_US, @Oxfam, and @OxfamAmerica when you can).
Download #HowICare graphics and messaging.
Access the Campaign Partner Toolkits – Global, United States, for Workplaces.
We are asking you to share:
- Stories: Personal reflections about how your care responsibilities – particularly when it comes to caring for children – have shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what support you need to be the best parent or caregiver you can be.
- Statistics: Share new, #HowICare polling data from the US, UK, Canada, Philippines, and Kenya (forthcoming), or other national or international statistics that highlight the realities, difficulties, and disparities parents and caregivers of children are facing during COVID-19.
- Policy Asks: Call for the supportive policies all parents and caregivers need, specifically those who are most impacted by COVID-19 such as: paid time off, flexible scheduling, and childcare provisions; and call for the goal of men carrying out half of the world’s care work
See guidance below for organizations, individuals, and employers on how to participate:
Organizations:
Share out campaign policy asks on Twitter (and other social media) using #HowICare, to build pressure on the government to support policies that address care challenges, such as paid time off, driven by research around public opinions.
Individuals:
Share challenges and experiences about the private world of unpaid care on Twitter (and other social media) using #HowICare. This helps us to inform future advocacy asks, to build global community, and illuminate shifts in care. We will also ask individuals to contact their representatives to address policy issues, in the US.
Employers:
Share examples of employer-led policies that address these challenges, such as paid time off, driven by research around public opinions, on Twitter (and other social media) using #HowICare; Encourage employees (who maybe be parents) to share their stories.