President's wife Olena Zelenska together with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg and Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to Ukraine Jaime Nadal opened a club for responsible dads "TATO-Hub Poltava" on June 16 and launched an audio guide in Swedish at the Museum of the Battle of Poltava. In addition, the First Lady visited the hub educational institution in the Poltava region, where the presentation of the project "Nutrition Reforms for Students of the Poltava Region" took place.
"Equality of rights for mother and father in child care is one of the areas of work that Ukraine has set for itself by joining the Biarritz Partnership International Initiative last year - the Equal Opportunities Partnership. And I must say, we are confidently moving towards our goals. A law has recently come into force that gives men the right to take full parental leave for the first three years. And also the right to paid fourteen-day leave in the first three months after the birth of a child," said Olena Zelenska.
The purpose of creating "TATO-Hub Poltava" is to popularize the idea of involved and conscious fatherhood among the city's residents. "TATO-Hub" is a club for dads, where men can learn, communicate and become closer to their children, thereby improving family relations.
"In the 1970s, when Sweden first introduced joint parental leave, it was rare to see parents taking advantage of it, as staying home with their children was still considered a woman's job. However, over the decades, Swedish dads have become bright examples of involved parents, and about 90% of Swedish dads are now taking parental leave. "By opening such important places for parents as TATO-Hub, Poltava is taking great steps to change the perception of the role of parents and provide them with valuable opportunities for communication," said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg.
The activities of "TATO-Hub" are aimed at organizing classes exclusively for dads on child psychology, building "parent-child" relationships, sex education, coping with stress, constructive conflict resolution, preparation for childbirth and the emergence of a baby, the harmfulness of gender stereotypes. All events will be conducted by highly qualified experienced psychologists free of charge by appointment.
"As a member of the Biarritz Partnership, Ukraine has passed a so-called law on parental leave for fathers. Both initiatives are aimed at ensuring equal rights and opportunities for mothers and fathers regarding parental leave. However, institutional changes alone are not enough, it is important that changes take place at the level of consciousness and behavior of citizens. By supporting initiatives such as the TATO-Hub, we help men understand the importance of their involvement in the upbringing of children,” said Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to Ukraine Jaime Nadal.
Also in Poltava, with the participation of Olena Zelenska and the Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine, an audio guide in Swedish was launched at the Museum of the Battle of Poltava.
"I am very glad to see how the First Lady's initiative to translate the audio guide at the Museum of the Battle of Poltava in Swedish not only promotes historical and cultural ties between our countries, but also makes such historical monuments in Ukraine more accessible to visitors from Sweden," Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg said.
