Bulgarian president calls for more fatherhood

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev here on Wednesday urged parents, the state, NGOs and the society to promote the achievement of fatherhood more committed and responsive to the needs of children.

"The everyday communication between fathers and children creates a strong emotional bond and mutual trust," Plevneliev said in a congratulatory letter to the first national conference "Fatherhood".

In this way, fathers could better understand children's needs, interests and talents, and support their development, Plevneliev said in the letter, read by his Secretary of Social Policy, Youth and Sports Deyana Kostadinova.

"I am optimistic that we will achieve the desired shift towards fatherhood more committed and responsive to the needs of children," Plevneliev said.

He reminded that mutual respect and tolerance between mother and father become a role model for children.

Parents, the state, NGOs, society as a whole should shoulder their responsibility to build an environment that promote responsible parenting, Plevneliev said.

Tsvetelina Stoyanova, Managing Director of Market Links polling agency, said that in nine out of 10 families children are raised by two biological parents, according to a national representative survey of the attitudes, practices and barriers to male involvement in child care in Bulgaria.

"The evening meal, watching TV, conversations, walks on weekends, and holidays are the five activities that glue members of the contemporary Bulgarian family," Stoyanova said.

Compared with fathers, mothers do more work alone or with the children, with the most drastic differences in routine daily activities such as eating, hygiene, health care, which are mainly done by the mother, the survey showed.

For example, in 76 percent of families the mothers stay home when the children are sick, against 4 percent of fathers.

Nearly 90 percent of parents agree that fathers in Bulgaria should be more involved in caring for children, and that society needs to encourage the involvement of fathers in child care, Stoyanova said.

Meanwhile, also about 90 percent agree that the husband's most important role is to make money for the family, and about 85 percent agree that the most important role of the wife is to take care of home and children.

The survey also showed that nearly two-thirds, or 62 percent of fathers and 66 percent of mothers, would work less to have more time for their children, if financial conditions allowed, Stoyanova said.

Some 100 representatives of state institutions, NGOs and international organizations participated in the conference held within the national campaign "Being a Father" which forms part of the global fatherhood campaign MenCare. Endit