Engaging Men in Nurturing Care Initiative

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About the Engaging Men in Nurturing Care (EMiNC) Initiative

The Engaging Men in Nurturing Care (EMiNC) initiative is a multiyear project dedicated to promoting gender equity in caregiving. EMiNC seeks to create a nurturing environment where children thrive by advocating for equal respect and shared responsibilities among parents. Engaging men in caregiving benefits children, strengthens family bonds, supports mothers, and contributes positively to society and the economy. Through evidence building, strategic partnerships, and community engagement, EMiNC aims to influence parental leave policies that support gender-balanced caregiving. The initiative also trains early childhood practitioners in inclusive practices ensuring men play an active role in caregiving. EMiNC operates in three cities across Italy, Portugal, and Spain - in Naples, Coimbra, and Barcelona respectively - leveraging expertise from multiple fields. EMiNC envisions children growing up in a society where caregiving is a shared, valued, and respected responsibility for all.

To learn more about what we do, why, and how, who we are, and our value proposition, click here.

Country-specific contexts

Across the three country contexts, a common thread is the persistence of traditional gender norms that limit fathers’ roles in caregiving and the need for systemic and cultural shifts to foster greater engagement of men in nurturing care. By combining advocacy, capacity building, and storytelling, EMiNC aims to lay the foundation for a pan-European movement that reshapes how fathers, families, and society perceive and practice caregiving. At the same time, each country faces distinct challenges and opportunities that shape the focus and approach of their specific efforts.

Learn more about each country's specific context: Italy | Portugal | Spain

=> Read the latest update from the EMiNC countries.

Latest News

Driving Change: Engaging Men in Nurturing Care in Southern Europe

The participation of fathers in Italy - Report by ISSA Member Centre for Child Health and Development

Playful Parenting Series | The Key to Engaged Fatherhood

Recap & Recordings from 4EParent Webinar: Father Involvement in Child Development and Care

My Dad's Journey - Engaging Men in Nurturing Care

Webinar: Fathers matter, too! Supporting men's engagement in young children's care and development

Resources

Check out all resources shared through the EMiNC initiative here.

About EMiNC

The Engaging Men in Nurturing Care (EMiNC) initiative is a multiyear project dedicated to promoting gender equity in caregiving. EMiNC seeks to create a nurturing environment where children thrive by advocating for equal respect and shared responsibilities among parents. Engaging men in caregiving benefits children, strengthens family bonds, supports mothers, and contributes positively to society and the economy. Through evidence building, strategic partnerships, and community engagement, EMiNC aims to influence parental leave policies that support gender-balanced caregiving. The initiative also trains early childhood practitioners in inclusive practices ensuring men play an active role in caregiving. EMiNC envisions children growing up in a society where caregiving is a shared, valued, and respected responsibility for all.

What we do

EMiNC focuses on achieving key outcomes to advance gender equity in caregiving across Europe:

Influence Policy: Advocate for equal, paid, and non-transferable paternal leave at the national and EU levels, ensuring fathers can actively engage in their children's early development.
Transform Early Childhood Practices: Implement gender-transformative programs in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, targeting early childhood professionals and fathers to increase fathers' engagement in caregiving.
Build Capacity in Early Childhood Workforce: Integrate men and father engagement and shared parenting into the training curriculum for early childhood professionals in- and pre- service, challenging stereotypes and promoting gender-transformative practices.
Engage Employers: Partner with employers to create workplace environments that support paternity leave, reinforcing shared caregiving responsibilities.
Foster Mindset Shift: Encourage a societal shift towards recognizing and valuing men’s roles in caregiving, contributing to more balanced family dynamics and improved outcomes for children.

EMiNC operates in three cities across Italy, Spain, and Portugal - in Naples, Barcelona, and Coimbra respectively -leveraging expertise from multiple fields The program focuses on changing everyday practices in early childhood services and increasing fathers’ engagement in daily caregiving activities. Cross-sectoral capacity building and support ensure coherent and sustainable practices across professionals working with young children and families.

Why we do it

Early engagement of fathers in caregiving, leads to long-term benefits such as improved child development, better well-being of family members and healthy family environments. However, gender inequality in caregiving remains a challenge across Europe. Deep-rooted stereotypes assign most caregiving responsibilities to women, widening gender gaps in employment and income. Men's participation in caregiving is often limited by societal expectations and insufficient supportive policies, such as inadequate paternal leave. Despite EU efforts, violence against women and children continues, emphasizing the need for stronger strategies.

A collective effort from parents, educators, businesses, media, and governments is essential to challenge these stereotypes, promote gender equality in caregiving, and implement policies that encourage men’s active involvement in caregiving roles, both at home and professionally. Starting early and maintaining engagement in fatherhood can significantly contribute to breaking down these barriers and fostering a more equitable society. The EMiNC project addresses these issues by advocating for gender-balanced policies and effective implementation of programs across Europe.

How we do it

EMiNC brings together expertise from multiple fields, such as gender equality, masculinities, fatherhood, early childhood development, parenting programs, human and child’s rights, and the know-how on effective programming, policy influencing and system change:

Top-down Advocacy: Influence EU-level policies to drive national change, advocating for equal, paid, and non-transferable paternal leave stressing the importance of strengthening the capacity across programs to encourage and stimulate fathers/men participation in nurturing care
Bottom-up Action: Build alliances at the city and country levels to shift narratives and practices through gender-transformative programs targeting early childhood workers and fathers in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
Curriculum Integration: Introduce gender equality into pre- and in-service training for early childhood professionals across sectors to challenge stereotypes and promote men and father engagement in caregiving and shared parenting.
Narrative Building: Promote positive masculinities and fatherhood. EMiNC builds strong narratives on the importance of engaged fatherhood and gender equity to drive societal change.
Data-driven Approach: Collect evidence and data to inform strategies and adapt them for maximum sustainable impact.

Who we are

EMiNC is a partnership of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA) with the Centro per la Salute del Bambino - Centre for Child Health (CSB) in Italy, Observatory of Masculinities – Center of Social Studies (CES) in Portugal, and CONEXUS and the Barcelona City Council, Office for Feminism and LGBTI Affairs in Spain. Supported by the OAK Foundation, EMiNC launched in February 2023 as a three-year initiative.

Our value proposition

While many programs across Europe engage fathers in caregiving, EMiNC is unique in simultaneously influencing EU-level policy and driving changes in city-level practices. By catalyzing policy discourse and implementing transformative programs, EMiNC promotes positive masculinities, fatherhood, and gender equity, with a strong data-gathering component to inform future scale-up of successful policies and programs

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EMiNC | Italy

In Italy, caregiving remains culturally tied to women, with fathers' roles in nurturing care often dismissed. This imbalance extends to workplace culture, where flexibility and support for fathers taking time off to care for children are limited. However, evidence gathered in Italy highlights a critical connection between caregiving policies and broader societal outcomes. For instance, research shows that women’s decisions to have additional children are often influenced by the level of caregiving support they receive, including fathers’ engagement. Increased paternal leave has been linked to higher employment rates for women and, indirectly, to improved fertility rates.

Efforts to address these challenges include targeted initiatives in Naples and other regions. These initiatives focus on lobbying for improved paternity leave policies, as well as training early childhood development (ECD) professionals, health workers, and university students on the principles of nurturing care. Additionally, work is being done with father groups and family center facilitators toward providing men with spaces to engage more actively in caregiving. A communication campaign featuring high-profile and everyday fathers aims to shift public perceptions, presenting caregiving as both a child-centered and community-oriented endeavor. These efforts are gradually building momentum to reshape caregiving culture in Italy.

This page will be regularly updated with news and resources related to the EMiNC initiative in Italy.

=> Read the latest update from the EMiNC countries.

EMiNC | Portugal

In Portugal, caregiving is deeply rooted in traditional gender roles, with care often perceived as exclusively a woman’s responsibility. Societal expectations discourage men from taking paternity leave, with only a small percentage of fathers utilizing the up to 28 days currently available. Rigid notions of masculinity, where men are expected to avoid showing vulnerability, further hinder fathers from openly sharing emotions or fully embracing nurturing roles.

At the same time, evidence suggests that men are increasingly willing to participate in caregiving, though their efforts often fall short of equal sharing. Cultural resistance persists, requiring significant shifts in societal attitudes. To address this, efforts are underway to build capacity within health and education sectors, focusing on pre- and in-service training to engage fathers from the earliest stages of their children’s lives, including integration of father-inclusive content into BA and MA-level programs and challenging entrenched gender stereotypes. This foundational work aims to create a supportive environment where caregiving is viewed as a shared responsibility, fostering greater equity within families and communities.

This page will be regularly updated with news and resources related to the EMiNC initiative in Portugal.

=> Read the latest update from the EMiNC countries.

Additional Resources

The materials below, developed under the KINDER and PARENT Projects, support EMiNC’s focus on engaging men in early childhood, challenging stereotypes, and supporting professionals and families in creating more inclusive, responsive environments for children.

KINDER Manual: Deconstructing Stereotypes from Childhood
This manual offers a comprehensive, 9-module framework for promoting gender equity in early education. It addresses key themes such as equality, non-violent education, and inclusive family–school relationships. Developed through the KINDER Project, the manual includes ready-to-use activities for children, as well as tools to support educators and institutions in creating more equitable and inclusive learning environments.

Let’s Talk? Conversation Unlockers
These age-specific tools support meaningful conversations with children about emotions, empathy, fairness, and gender equality. Originally developed within the KINDER and Boyhood initiatives, the “Let’s Talk?” letters help children express themselves, challenge stereotypes, and build inclusive relationships. Explore versions for ages 4–6, 7–9, and 10–13.

National PARENT Manual – Involved and Caring Parents: From Theory to Practice
This manual, developed through the PARENT Project, explores strategies to engage men in caregiving and promote co-responsibility in parenting. It offers practical approaches to preventing violence, challenging gender norms, and supporting a more equal distribution of unpaid care work.

As part of the PARENT Project, the #EuSouMãe and #EuSouPai campaigns—launched around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Portugal—highlighted the unequal burden of care on women during the COVID-19 pandemic and promoted more equitable, involved fatherhood. The campaigns challenged traditional gender norms and called for shared caregiving responsibilities. Together, they sparked vital conversations about care, co-responsibility, and the need to value and redistribute unpaid care work in families and society.

"BE KINDER" – Short Animation Film
This creative educational resource promotes inclusive, stereotype-free representations of masculinity. Developed by the KINDER project, the film encourages critical thinking and positive role models for children, families, and educators alike.

EMiNC | Spain

Spain boasts some of the most progressive paternity leave policies in the region, offering fathers significant time off to care for their children. However, the cultural reality often limits the full impact of these policies. Many fathers still default to taking leave alongside mothers rather than independently, reducing the opportunities for fathers to fully engage in caregiving. Evidence suggests that this dynamic perpetuates traditional caregiving roles and diminishes the transformative potential of progressive leave policies.

Amid these challenges, work is being done to train ECD professionals, particularly in Barcelona, to better involve fathers in early childhood education settings. Health professionals and university students are also being targeted through pre-service training programs that emphasize the importance of father engagement. Additionally, community-based efforts include father groups and activities that encourage men to participate in caregiving roles outside traditional family structures, such as kindergartens.

While Spain’s progressive policies create a solid foundation, the cultural context requires ongoing efforts to normalize caregiving as a shared responsibility. At the same time, emerging narratives around positive masculinity and the emotional value of fatherhood are helping counterbalance a reactionary movement pushing against these changes, offering hope for continued progress.

This page will be regularly updated with news and resources related to the EMiNC initiative in Spain.

=> Read the latest update from the EMiNC countries.