A handbook to encourage fathers’ parenting roles without impacting their "manhood"

In cooperation with Save the Children and under the patronage of Minister of Social Affairs, Rashid Derbas, the Resource Center for Gender Equality, ABAAD, yesterday launched a handbook on engaging men in parenting roles. The booklet, edited by Anita Nassar, is divided into three sections. The first section targets social workers in the health care sector while the second targets fathers and includes guidelines, instructions and proposed activities for prenatal medical visits, family planning, children’s rights and needs and on ways for constructive fatherhood. The third section covers international experiences on the subject and proposes ways of involving the local community in promoting the concept of positive fatherhood. According to ABAAD Gender Program Manager, Rola Masri, the handbook seeks to break the cultural and social patterns by persuading men of their role within the family without infringing on the issue of manhood and masculinity. Similarly, Save the Children Director in Lebanon, Ayan Rodgers, noted that owing to women’s increasing role in the economy, societies are witnessing a change in family roles. “Positive fatherhood helps in the healthy upbringing of children and supports them to become more capable of taking the right decisions and follow up their education, as well as overcome problems of adolescence and face life challenges,” he said. To this end, ABAAD and Save the Children Lebanon will be involving all stakeholders and will conduct trainings of local and international partner organizations operating in the country on how to use the handbook and engage with parents in order to boost positive fatherhood in the Lebanese society. (As Safir, 26 February, 2015)