How do fathers see themselves? Asked by a survey to indicate how they perceived their role, Canadian fathers answered that they saw themselves primarily as “providers” (43%), whereas this was the very last answer given by Quebec fathers ( 12%).
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Thus, according to a Léger survey conducted at the request of the Regroupement pour la valorisation de la paternité, fathers here see themselves first and foremost as role models (48%) and as a parent who gives care and affection (45 %).
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Quebec fathers also stand out in terms of their expectations regarding public policies. In fact, 77% of them (compared to 65% of Canadian fathers) consider it “very important” to benefit from a leave for the birth of a child and that they are encouraged to use it. In almost the same proportions, Quebec fathers consider it much more important than those in other provinces to have access to family-work balance measures.
What do they think of the idea that “both parents work as a team to take care of their children, that is, they make all the important decisions together”? Quebec fathers completely agree with this concept (89%), compared to 79% for fathers in the rest of Canada.
In the event of separation, 85% of Quebec fathers advocate “shared custody where the child spends almost the same amount of time with both parents”. This is also the preference of fathers from other provinces, but to a lesser extent (75%).
Where fathers come together from coast to coast is on the issue of the impacts of the pandemic. They agree, 64% for Quebecers and 65% for others, to say that COVID-19 at least had the merit of allowing them to spend more time with their children.
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Who takes care of the care of the children? According to 71% of fathers in Quebec, it is shared equally between the two parents, while 62% of fathers in the rest of Canada answer the same. A Statistics Canada study, unveiled in December, however, reported that homeschooling had greatly increased the daily lives of women, on whom this task had largely fallen.
“The message has passed”
Raymond Villeneuve, director general of the Regroupement pour la valorisation de la paternité, finds particularly interesting the very distinct perception that Quebec fathers have of their role.
What to attribute it to? According to Mr. Villeneuve, no doubt due to the fact “that Quebec women have strongly demanded equality, which is part of many of our public policies”.
Fathers, especially the youngest, are really keen to get involved with their children, to create an emotional bond. The message got through, for that as well as for childcare.
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Raymond Villeneuve, Managing Director of the Regroupement pour la valorisation de la paternité
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Mr. Villeneuve observed that fathers still “have a long way to go” in the sharing of purely domestic tasks. (In the Léger poll, 69% of Quebec fathers and 61% of fathers from other provinces answer that it is shared fairly.)
According to him, in some of the couples, the traditional sharing of household chores is still applied.
As for public policies, Mr. Villeneuve underlines that the government must itself “have the paternity reflex whenever a family service is set up”.
He mentions, for example, the perinatal policy, expected shortly, which will provide an update on the government guidelines for support in matters of pregnancy, childbirth and in the year following the birth.
Of course, it is women who give birth, but Mr. Villeneuve points out that men also take care of newborns, which is often neglected by the authorities, as if the first months of the child were exclusively the responsibility of the child. from the mother.
And even today, in certain forms, notes Mr. Villeneuve, there is no space to put the name of the father, “while a quarter of single-parent families are headed by a father”.
Fannie Dagenais, director of the Observatoire des tout-petits, also finds it particularly “gratifying” that Quebec families have more and more fathers who see themselves first and foremost as role models, as educators and providers. of care and affection.
Fatherly engagement creates a secure bond of attachment that is important for a child’s development and self-esteem. Not to mention that the father’s involvement is important for work-family reconciliation.
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Fannie Dagenais, director of the Toddler Observatory
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Public policies count for a lot in the evolution of mores, she observes. Thanks to the Quebec parental insurance plan, 80% of fathers took paternity leave in 2017, recalls Mr.me Dagenais.
In his opinion, what remains to be done in particular now is to put an end to the differences in standards that still exist. Even today, she says, too many men are looked down on (even more) than women if they have to leave early or be absent due to a family obligation.
The study was carried out by the firm Léger on behalf of the Regroupement pour la valorisation de la paternité, through a web survey of 2001 respondents in Canada (1000 in Quebec and 1001 outside Quebec), fathers of less one child under 18, who can speak French or English. The data were collected from May 4 to 16, 2021. As a guide, a probability sample of 2001 respondents would have a margin of error of +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20.
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