Less than 1 in 5 men in the U.S. are able to take a single day of paid paternity leave. Dove Men+Care and its partners – PL+US, the leading national paid family leave advocacy group, and Alexis Ohanian, a notable paid paternity leave advocate, internet entrepreneur and father – head to Capitol Hill for The Dads Day of Action with a group of real dads from across the country to fight for national paid paternity leave. They will meet today to discuss the dire need for federally-provided paid family leave with key members of Congress, including Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Clyburn (D-SC 6th District), Sen. Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Cassidy (R-LA).
“Over the past few months, I have worked with Dove Men+Care to mobilize a community of supporters to advocate for every father’s right to paid family leave,” said Alexis Ohanian, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Initialized Capital. “Over 36,000 dads, allies and supporters have signed the Pledge for Paternity Leave, and we have heard compelling stories from tens of thousands of families who have applied for immediate paid family relief through the Dove Men+Care Paternity Leave Fund. After the birth of my daughter, Olympia, I quickly realized how important it was for me to take the time to support my wife and bond with my daughter from the very beginning. As we embark on Washington, D.C., our group of ‘Dadvocates’ will share our own unique experiences with the policymakers who have the opportunity to make significant change.”
During the Dads Day of Action, Dove Men+Care and its partners will meet with Democratic and Republican members of Congress to actively pursue policy change. In each meeting, the collective team will share social proof of the tens of thousands of signatures for the Pledge, the emotional stories of the real families who need leave, and research and data proving the benefits of paternity leave. The objective of these conversations is to identify the best ways to make paid paternity leave the new standard for all dads, and to bring paid family leave to everyone in the U.S.
Dove Men+Care is dedicated to discussing the benefits of paid paternity leave with a wide and diverse audience of lawmakers and thought leaders. Dove Men+Care and PL+US will also host an evening reception with the #FutureForum, a group of Representatives who are focused on issues and opportunities for millennials in the U.S. The reception is open to all members of Congress and leaders of other advocacy groups and key organizations that prioritize issues for parents and working families. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) and others will speak about their own experiences as working parents, and how it is so important for parents to be able to bond with and care for their children, regardless of gender.
Dads and allies can visit DoveMenCare.com/Pledge to sign The Pledge for Paternity Leave. A variety of tools and resources to help advocate for change locally or within one’s place of business are also available at the Dove Men+Care community page: Advocates for Paternity Leave and on PL+US’ website at www.paidleave.us.
