June 18 marks Father's Day. This date has been celebrated in Georgia since 2016 by the joint initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and its partner organization Care Together, to encourage the invaluable role of fathers in the lives of their children.
UNFPA Georgia CO, with the support of the European Union and Sweden, actively advocates for the men's active and positive engagement as fathers, sharing household chores and, in general, achieving gender equality.
The 2019 research “Men, Women, and Gender Relations in Georgia” revealed that men who are actively involved in parenting are much more productive at work, happier in their personal relationships, and their children grow up in a healthier environment.
In order to promote and encourage fathers’ involvement of in the daily life of their children, the UNFPA Georgia CO and Care Together launched the MenCare campaign in 2016; a number of interesting, informative and useful activities have been carried out within the framework of this initiative.
Currently, the UNFPA Georgia CO is implementing five initiatives within the framework of the MenCare campaign, serving the purpose of promoting equal parenting in Georgia.
Father’s Day
Father's Day was first celebrated in Georgia in 2016. Through celebrating this day fathers living in Georgia are reminded of the importance of their engagement in parenting, their involvement in their children's lives, as well as of the importance of equal parenting and partnership. Establishing and celebrating Father's Day is a crucial step forward emphasizing the significance of fathers' participation in the process of caring for and raising their children. From year to year, many private and public organizations join this initiative of the MenCare campaign, with a variety of activities, which makes this day even more special.
Men Talking to Men
In 2016, the UNFPA Georgia CO started implementing a one-day training module “Men Talking to Men” in Tbilisi, Kakheti, Samegrelo, Guria, Imereti, Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia. The training module “Men Talking to Men” was developed in partnership with the international organization “Equimundo” and is based on international practice and research data. During the session, facilitators and participants gather in a safe and secure environment and talk about topical issues such as equal distribution of family responsibilities, equal involvement in raising and caring for children, caring for family members, identifying elements of violence and relevant reporting. The training module consists of an interactive activity, visual learning resources and is based on the principles of informal education.
Father's Cup
Fathers' Cup is a football championship for fathers and their children, which is being held since 2017. Father’s Cup was initiated within the framework of partnership with the Georgian Football Federation and serves the purpose of encouraging a healthy lifestyle. The teams participating in the mini-championship Fathers' Cup have four members comprised of girls and boys between the ages of 8-12, and for each team the father of one of the participants assumes the role of a team coach. The aim of the initiative is to highlight the importance of fathers' involvement in their children's lives and facilitate equal participation of boys and girls in sports.
Fathers’ Group
In 2020, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fathers’ Group was established within the framework of the MenCare campaign. About 10,000 male Facebook users are members of the Fathers’ Group. Members of the group share useful tips, exchange interesting information, ask questions concerning raising children or household chores and get answers to their questions from each other.
Fathers’ School
Fathers' School was opened in Tbilisi and Kutaisi in 2021. The goal of the initiative is to promote acquisition and utilization of the skills and behaviours among men, which will help them to become more engaged and caring fathers and partners. More than 100 men have already participated in the Fathers’ School programme. Men who are planning to become fathers in the near future, expectant fathers, or fathers of children under the age of three, form the target audience of the programme. The training is free. In the first stage of programme implementation, the partners of Fathers’ School are Gagua Clinic in Tbilisi and Women's Health Centre Hera in Kutaisi.
