Can Dads “Have It All”? Why Parenting Out Loud Matters
Wednesday, 26 March, 13:00 – 14:00
Virtual (Teams)
Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience—but for many fathers and co-parents, the challenges of balancing work, family, and societal expectations often go unspoken. It’s time to change that.
Join us for a thought-provoking virtual ‘fireside chat’ facilitated by Ian Dinwiddy, of Inspiring Dads, on what it means to “parent out loud” at the University of Oxford.
We'll explore why the dad experience matters, how equality starts at home, and why men should actively engage in parenting conversations. Don’t miss this opportunity to challenge norms, share perspectives, and be part of the change.
Register for the virtual event
Why everyone should encourage equal parenting and caring
Many parents face challenges in balancing their work and family lives, and often come up against gender stereotypes. By supporting parents and carers with resources, conversations, and policy awareness, this initiative seeks to create a more inclusive workplace and challenge outdated gender norms. When caregiving is seen as a shared responsibility, everyone benefits—individuals, families and the wider workplace culture.
- It is good for equality: By normalizing fathers’ active role in parenting, organisations can break down barriers that hold women back, creating a more equitable and productive academic environment for everyone. This environment reduces the potential for unconscious bias and discrimination around parental leave for women in the workplace.
- It tackles the gender pay gap: By the time a first child is 20, women’s average hourly wages are about a third below men’s wages, largely due to the impact of parental leave and part-time working. In order to address the impact of the ‘motherhood penalty,’ parenting/caring has to be seen as something that both women and men do equally.
- It improves workplace culture: A 2021 McKinsey study found that companies with strong parental leave policies reported improved workplace morale and lower turnover.
- It is increasingly necessary to attract the best talent: In a 2019 UK study by Working Families, 68% of younger fathers said that childcare would impact their decision to take a new job, show an increasing emphasis on employers’ offering better work-family balance.
Are you interested in supporting parenting 'out loud’ in your department or team?
The Equal Parenting Project of the University of Birmingham has developed a Fathers in the Workplace Toolkit that provides a set of accessible and easy-to-use tools for organisations to support fathers and partners in the workplace. If you are interested in encouraging take-up of the new paternity leave benefit and advocating for ‘parenting out loud’ in your department or faculty, consider some of the following good practices:
- Implement Parenting Passports: Introduce a 'living' document that records a parent’s caring responsibilities and support their needs, encouraging open dialogue between employees and managers.
- Establish a parenting group: Create or facilitate a network or group where parents can share experiences, access information, and discuss workplace policies, and promote a supportive community.
- Develop ‘Fatherhood Champions’: A father who has used a policy successfully is the best person to communicate it to other parents (and especially fathers) in the workplace.
- Clearly communicate family-friendly benefits: Develop clear, accessible posters or webpages to inform staff about parental leave policies and flexible working options, ensuring all staff are aware of available support.
- Support Return-to-Work transitions: Implement structured plans to support parents returning from parental leave, facilitating a smooth reintegration into the workplace.
Past event
Parenting Out Loud: Normalising Equal Parenting at Oxford
On 11 December, 2024, the Equality and Diversity Unit was delighted to welcome Dr. Holly Birkett, Co-Director of the Equal Parenting Project at the University of Birmingham, to present the latest research on fatherhood and parenting in the UK, and what Oxford can learn from it.
She was joined by a panel of fatherhood and parenting advocates from across the University.
View the recording
