Gender Equality
PRESS RELEASE FOR THE EDUCATIONAL COURSE "FATHER OF THE SCHOOL"
1. The importance of fathers' involvement in children's lives from the very first moments and days.
The role of a father in a child's life is a profound, constantly evolving topic that concerns not only specialists in education, healthcare, and social protection systems, but also ordinary people preparing to become parents or who already are.
Scientific evidence proves the influence of fathers on a child's early development. Data from many studies have shown that fathers who held their child immediately after birth are more likely to play with their growing children and spend more time together later on. It was also found that infants with a close and active father show higher scores on mental and motor development tests and subsequently grow up to be more socially responsive. An important additional finding was that in such families, relations between spouses are significantly more harmonious, with unity of goals and plans and low conflict.
In modern society, a stable positive trend and a comfortable, expanding psychological space have formed for the development of a new role for fathers. Today, a father is not only the economic support of the family but, first and foremost, a friend, teacher, helper, happy spouse, responsible parent, and a constructive member of the family and society.
2. The origins of "Father Groups" (Father Schools).
About 20 years ago, Swedish shoemaker Mats Berggren, a father of three, became interested in the topic of fatherhood and how a father can be useful and interesting to his children not only as a "household wallet" but also as a friend, teacher, and comrade. With the help of a local trade union, he began to create meeting groups for expectant fathers in Southern Stockholm. Initially, in these groups, men simply talked about the economic aspects of fatherhood. But later, due to the initiative of the men themselves, the groups took on the form we now call "Father Schools."
The social trend of "men working with men" gained new momentum in other Scandinavian countries as well. While male interaction throughout the world is still predominantly based on principles of overt or covert hierarchical struggle, in developed societies, the principle of male cooperation is gaining increasing traction. This is particularly evident in the social sphere and in matters related to family development and functioning and the interests of the local community.
Gradually, from male public associations, unions, and clubs, there was a transition to special socio-psychological technologies, such as "Father Schools" or Centers for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence for men prone to violent behavior.
In 2006-07, this movement reached Russia and was supported in the Leningrad Region by both public organizations ("Men of the 21st Century") and the Centers for Social Assistance to Families and Children in St. Petersburg.
In Minsk and the Republic of Belarus, the first "Father Schools" started operating at the end of 2009. Currently, over a thousand expectant fathers have passed through them.
According to preliminary feedback from fathers and members of the families involved, participation in the "Father School" significantly enriched the behavioral repertoire of young fathers, improved marital and parent-child relationships, and helped men to more deeply understand their paternal role and responsibility for the harmonious development of children and the strengthening of the family.
During this time, a new demand emerged from the male fatherly community – courses for fathers raising children aged 3 to 12-14 years and specialized courses for fathers of teenagers.
The need to master new areas of activity led to the idea of an international project "Creating a Sustainable System for Involving Fathers in the Lives of Children and Families," in which Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Swedish specialists, moderators, and fathers will participate.
The project was launched in October 2013 at the Republican Charitable Public Association "Club of Lions." Methodological and organizational support for the project is provided by specialists from the State Institution Minsk City Center for Social Services for Families and Children.
Brief description of the educational project "Dad School"
Goals:
- promoting the process of achieving gender equality in the family and domestic sphere;
- overcoming gender stereotypes and providing targeted socio-psychological assistance to men;
- promoting the strengthening of the state's demographic security by increasing the stability of young families through the development of men's fatherly and partnership qualities;
– creating conditions for the personal growth of men - future fathers, forming their psychological culture of relationships in the family and a culture of healthy lifestyle.
Objectives:
- strengthening the institution of family by optimizing the father's role in the family, unleashing the potential of future and young fathers;
- forming a positive social image of responsible fatherhood;
- organizing cooperation between men and women to achieve gender equality;
- activating and streamlining work on family education and training for various segments of the population, primarily parents;
- psychological education of young parents about the role and influence of mother and father on the child-rearing process;
- involving fathers in active public social activities.
Expected results of the educational project implementation, their social significance:
- strengthening parent-child and partnership (marital) relationships in young families;
- harmonizing the family atmosphere, contributing to the stability of the family system and the predisposition of spouses to have additional children in the family;
- reducing divorce risk factors leading to family breakdown, reducing the number of divorces in young families in the first to third year of cohabitation after childbirth;
- prevention of antisocial behavior among young men;
- activating socially significant activities of men aimed at preserving the institution of family, promoting responsible fatherhood;
- increasing the level of psychological, pedagogical, and legal culture of parents.
Brief justification for the need to implement the educational project:
The innovativeness of the project lies in the fact that group work with young fathers, who are expecting a child or are raising a child several months old, is conducted only by men, fathers who have practical experience in raising children or theoretical professional training on this issue.
We believe that by proposing the formula "from the present father to the future father" as a working method, socio-psychological support will be most trustworthy for men, especially in situations where men grew up in single-parent families and do not have a sufficient understanding of the positive role of a father. Information and support received directly from men who have experience in fatherhood and special training to conduct classes will help overcome uncertainty and support young men in their most important role – the role of a father.
The results of an extensive long-term sociological study conducted in Sweden in 2007-2010, based on 10 years of operation of Papa Schools in that country, showed that fathers who attended Papa Schools spend significantly more time at home with young children, and the educational quality of this time spent is significantly higher. This significantly reduces the level of neglect and homelessness among children not only during early childhood but also in later periods of family life, for example, during adolescence.
The number of divorces among fathers who attended Papa School decreased by 60% compared to a sample in which fathers who did not
attend Papa School were surveyed. In the surveyed sample of project participants (more than 4000 men), a significant (up to 70%) reduction in the number of cases of violence against women and children in the family was statistically confirmed. It has also been reliably established that there is an increase in the number of "unplanned" children born to families, who appear as a result of the achieved harmonization of spousal relations based on the experience of raising the first child with increased paternal responsibility. This harmonization is a significant factor in Sweden's demographic progress achieved in recent decades.
The preparation of men for childbirth is predominantly not medical, but socio-psychological. However, this work is carried out in cooperation with women's clinics and children's polyclinics as an additional component of preparing the family for childbirth and preparing men for responsible fatherhood. Specialists from all interested departments and representatives of public organizations should be involved in the program.
Conclusion:
Informing, educating, and preparing young parents for childbirth is a task of national importance. The father plays a special, important role in creating a prosperous family. Socio-educational work with fathers is one of the priority areas of state family policy, the foundation of the country's well-being and stability.