Australian men face cultural barriers which often prevent them from stepping back from work to care for children. Taking part-time roles, flexible work or opting to be the stay-at-home parent still carries a stigma in some quarters - for both men and women. The gender pay gap often means it makes more financial sense for the mother to give up her career to take on the bulk of the domestic duties. In many instances, she will never recover from this in terms of career advancement, lost earnings and diminished superannuation.
Of course it doesn't have to be this way. Crabb explores how other countries provide paid parental leave which requires the father to participate in order to gain maximum benefit. She also provides examples of how countries can change culture over time and how many companies are taking the lead to bring about change by incentivising staff and removing barriers. Throughout the essay she never criticises men for their choices, but does point out how much they and their children gain from being more active parents.
Crabb's writing style and tone make this essay an easy, digestible read. Her charm and wit comes through, although sometimes I felt the author was a bit too present. Her arguments are clear and she is balanced in her approach. My main frustration with this essay is that we are still having to have this conversation!