Parents to march on Whitehall in June in a landmark push for gender equality and fairer parenting rights
LONDON — Fathers across the UK are being urged to take part in the world’s first “Dad strike” next month, as campaigners protest against what they describe as Britain’s “rubbish” statutory paternity leave provisions.
The strike, organised by campaign group The Dad Shift, will see fathers and co-parents gather with their babies outside the Department for Business and Trade on 11 June. Organisers are calling it a “revolutionary” moment for gender equality and parental rights, as frustration mounts over the limited time and financial support afforded to new fathers in the UK.
Currently, fathers in Britain are entitled to just two weeks of statutory paternity leave, which can be taken either in one block or split into two one-week periods. But campaigners argue this allowance is deeply inadequate – both in length and in pay. Eligible fathers are paid just £172.48 per week or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower – significantly less than the minimum wage. Self-employed parents are not eligible for any statutory support at all.
By comparison, new mothers are entitled to 90% of their earnings for the first six weeks of maternity leave, followed by up to 33 weeks at £187.18. Campaigners say the disparity reinforces outdated gender roles and leaves women carrying an unfair burden of childcare, while fathers are denied the chance to bond with their newborns.
George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift, said the protest was born out of deep frustration among fathers across the country. “The UK’s rubbish paternity leave system means from the day our kids arrive most fathers are forced to make an impossible choice – between going out to work and provide for our families, and providing them with the one thing that matters most, our presence,” he said.
“There’s been a lot of talk about fatherhood lately, and it was great to see Sir Keir Starmer saying, ‘I don’t want to be one of those blokes who says, I wish I’d spent more time with my kids.’ If you want to spend more time with your kids, spend more time with your kids and do it now. Don’t talk about it. But for too many dads, that’s just not possible.”
The Dad Strike comes in response to recent government proposals which campaigners say fall short of delivering meaningful reform. Labour’s much-vaunted employment rights bill, which had pledged to enhance paternity leave, will not guarantee the right to statutory pay — a decision labelled a “betrayal” by The Dad Shift.
Polling conducted by the group revealed that nearly two-thirds of fathers (62%) regretted not spending more time with their children during their first year. The average father, they found, spends 57% fewer waking hours with their baby than mothers during that period.
Activists believe this entrenched inequality not only harms fathers and mothers, but also affects children’s development and wellbeing. They are calling for a radical overhaul of the paternity leave system to reflect modern family structures and promote shared parenting from birth.
Next month’s protest in Whitehall is expected to draw hundreds of fathers and supporters, carrying babies in slings and buggies as they demand fairer treatment.
“It’s time to stop treating dads as optional extras in their children’s lives,” said Gabriel. “We’re raising our voices – and our children – to say we deserve better. And so do they.”
The government has yet to respond to the planned strike. However, campaigners remain determined to keep the pressure on until Britain’s parental leave system is reformed to reflect the needs of today’s families.
