We need to encourage men around the world to be nurturing, equally-involved fathers. Doing so (through social policies such as father's leave and public education campaigns) will bring great benefits to children, mothers, and fathers.
UNICEF, the U.N. Children's Fund, is the world's leader looking after the welfare of children. It's a leader in promoting gender equality. It works to end violence against women and children, knowing how this deeply traumatizes girls and boys.
UNICEF has begun to put efforts into engaging men and boys to promote gender equality, to rethink how we raise boys to be men, and to transform masculinity in positive ways. This includes helping men be equally-involved fathers.
Although UNICEF advocates men's full participation as parents, its famous mother/child logo is a throwback to the belief that only mothers can and should have central responsibility for children.
We urge UNICEF to update its logo by including an image of a father along with the mother and child.with the mother and child.
We are admirers of UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, for its huge contribution the world's children.
We support the critical work you do supporting women's equality. Not only is maternal health essential for children's health, but gender equality and an end to violence against women are essential because both girls and boys experience tremendous trauma through exposure to violence, most commonly by witnessing violence against their mother or from having violence committed directly against them.
In recent years, UNICEF has begun to put effort into engaging men and boys to promote gender equality and transform masculinity. This benefits girls and women, but also boys and men: in spite of gender inequality, males pay a price because of the ways we define manhood and raise boys to be men.
Given the mandate of UNICEF, a critical component of this is transforming the role of fathers.
Men have the capacity to nurture children equal to that of women. By encouraging men to play this role, through policies (such as father's leave) and campaigns (such as encouraging men to be present during childbirth and take co-responsibility for the health of newborns and the young), we can bring tangible benefits for children, to mothers, and to fathers.
Although UNICEF advocates the importance of men's full participation as parents, the famous mother/child UNICEF logo is a throwback to the belief that only mothers can and should have central responsibility for children.
AND SO, WE THE UNDERSIGNED
Respectfully urge UNICEF to update its historic logo by including an image of a father along with the mother and child.
