Better Daddies has expressed its support for the recommendations of the Treasury Select Committee aimed at altering corporate culture and advocating for parity in parental leave entitlements for both mothers and fathers. The campaign also commends the committee’s push for increased openness regarding maternity and parental leave policies.
Championing the cause for enhanced support and cultural shifts to enable fathers to embrace greater caregiving and domestic roles, Better Daddies stands at the forefront of this transformative agenda.
In its latest report on gender discrimination within the financial sector, the Treasury Select Committee highlighted input from Better Daddies, referencing the campaign’s contribution in paragraphs 57 and 59. The details of the evidence provided by Better Daddies can be found here.
The committee notably stated in paragraph 76 of its report: “We recommend that the Government and regulators encourage all firms to consider equalising their offer of parental leave for men and women, and to actively encourage more men to take it up. We also recommend that the Government and regulators encourage firms to be transparent about their maternity and parental leave policies, including when advertising roles, by publishing them on their company websites.”
Omar Salem, the visionary behind Better Daddies, remarked:
“A key aspect of tackling sexism against women in the workplace is shifting the culture around the role of fathers. Mothers, including those working in financial services, disproportionately carry out childcare. If childcare and parental leave were shared more equally between parents, this would provide more scope for men and women to work more equal hours. This could help reduce the ‘motherhood penalty’, the systematic disadvantages that mothers face in the workplace.”
Better Daddies advocates for several crucial policy reforms to support fathers, including:
- Better parental leave for fathers and more support for fathers to take it up
- More support for fathers to work part-time and flexibly
- Better childcare provision
- Making parenthood a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010
- Cultural change so that things like parental leave and flexible working become seen as more normal for men to do
Further insights into Better Daddies’ recommendations can be found in their detailed submission to the Treasury Select Committee here.
