In this blog, Dr Helen Norman, Professor Colette Fagan, and Dr Nina Teasdale examine the political and economic influences which dissuade involvement in childcare by fathers. They explore what might encourage greater involvement, and suggest ways to embed this in local and national policy. National policy focuses on helping mothers rather than fathers to adapt […]
Does fathers’ involvement in childcare influence mothers’ employment post-childbirth?
In October 2019, the Government Equalities Office published three pieces of research on the barriers to women’s progression. In this blog, Dr Helen Norman, Research Fellow in Sociology, discusses some of the findings in relation to her own research into the impact of paternal involvement in childcare on mothers’ employment trajectories during the early stages […]
#BeBoldForChange: Taking stock of gender inequalities in the UK in the face of Brexit
As the 2017 International Women’s Day global theme calls on us to ‘be bold for change’, here Professor Colette Fagan, Dr Nina Teasdale and Dr Helen Norman take stock of the UK’s gender-related policy measures. Progress towards gender equality has been uneven and often too slow Since 1957, equality between women and men has been […]
What makes dads involved in childcare?
In most countries, mothers spend more than half the amount of time on childcare than fathers. In the UK, dads spend an average of 24 minutes caring for children for every hour that is done by women. However, most dads agree that they should be as involved in childcare as the mother, and many would […]
Tackling the ‘childcare crunch’
Many women leave the labour market or cut their working hours after having children because childcare facilities are either unavailable, too expensive or simply inadequate, say Professor Colette Fagan and Dr Helen Norman. Read Dr Norman’s full policy briefing ‘UK Childcare in the European Context’ Childcare is now at the forefront of the political debate. […]