How Supporting Men as Caregivers Advances Gender Equity
Jul 15, 2021, 1:00 PM, Posted by Brigid Schulte, Jennifer Ng'andu
As the pandemic forced women out of the workforce in record numbers, a new survey reveals that men overwhelmingly value care work and want to share it equally with their partners. But the lack of supportive workplace cultures and public policies prevent them from doing so. Where do we go from here?
Jennifer Ng’andu, a managing director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Brigid Schulte, an award-winning journalist, author, and director of the Better Life Lab at New America, discuss key findings from the new report series about the state of men and care work, including Providing Care Changes Men, So What Keeps So Many of Them from Having this Transformative Experience?
Gender Equity and COVID-19
As pressure mounts to address the many challenges brought to the fore by the pandemic, our nation is experiencing a reckoning in caregiving, and what it means for families and our economy. A new nationally representative survey conducted by New America and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, revealed that although our cultural norms have not caught up with our ideals of gender equity, men overwhelmingly value care work, and want not only to participate, but to share it equally with their partners. However, the lack of supportive workplace cultures and public policies keep them from doing so.