(GIST OF KURUKSHETRA) Nourishing Families Together

(OCTOBER-2025)

Nourishing Families Together

Context:

Research from India and other developing nations shows that children benefit significantly when both parents, not just mothers, are involved in their upbringing:
Children whose fathers are actively engaged show better nutritional outcomes, higher immunisation rates, and lower stunting.
Fathers’ involvement in early learning and play promotes school readiness and stronger language skills.
A nurturing father figure also helps build emotional security and self-esteem in both girls and boys.

For women’s empowerment and mental health Engaged fathers and husbands relieve women of the full burden of caregiving, which can:

Reduce maternal stress, postpartum depression, and feelings of isolation.
Enable women to pursue education, employment, or skill-building.
Lead to shared decision-making and less domestic violence.

For men’s own growth

Men, too, benefit profoundly from active caregiving:

They report a greater sense of purpose and strong emotional bonding with their children.
Fathers who engage in caregiving tend to drink less, have fewer accidents, and live healthier lives.
Caregiving provides a space for men to express emotions, challenge toxic masculinity, and build deeper relationships.

What keeps Indian men away from caregiving?

Patriarchal conditioning: From early childhood, boys are told that cooking, feeding, cleaning, or emotional expression are ‘feminine’ traits. Many grow up never seeing their fathers perform domestic roles.
Peer and community pressure: Men who break the norm - like carrying their baby or feeding their child in public, are often ridiculed by peers or even their own families.

Policy and structural barriers

India’s policy landscape, especially in labour laws and welfare schemes, does not actively encourage male caregiving. For instance, most private sector jobs offer no paternity leave.
Lack of knowledge and support
Many men express a willingness to help but feel unequipped. They were never taught how to hold a newborn, cook a balanced meal, or understand child milestones.

Real stories of male engagement in nutrition & caregiving

Joint education for couples improves communication and shared responsibilities.
Visual tools (e.g. food calendars, meal planners) boost men’s participation.
Programmes framing care as family progress (health, finance) engage men effectively.
Male participation improves dietary diversity, feeding practices, and maternal well-being.
Social norms remain a barrier, but peer examples and community role models help.

Key Roles of Indian Men is Caregiving

In the Indian context, where caregiving responsibilities have been traditionally assigned to women, there is a growing need to redefine and normalise the participation of men in caregiving and nutrition-related activities.
Male engagement in these roles is not merely about helping but about assuming shared responsibility for the well-being of children, women, and the family as a whole. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of the specific, impactful roles Indian men can play across various stages of the family life cycle.

During Pregnancy: Partners in Prenatal Care

The prenatal stage is one of the most critical periods for ensuring the health and nutrition of both the mother and the developing child. Men can actively participate in this phase by:

Accompanying their Spouse to Antenatal Check-ups: Their presence not only provides emotional support but also ensures they are informed about the mother’s and baby’s health.
Helping with Nutrition Planning: Men can ensure their pregnant partners consume a balanced, iron-and protein-rich diet. In many Indian households, men control grocery budgets-this can be leveraged to prioritise healthy foods.
Reminding and Supporting Supplement Intake: Reminders for folic acid, iron tablets, and calcium supplements, and helping in obtaining these from government or private clinics.
Minimising Physical Strain for Pregnant Women: By helping with chores, lifting loads, or reducing travel, men can reduce risk factors like anaemia, preterm labour, or low birth weight.

Early learning and Play: Fathers as Educators

Child development is about more than nutrition— it includes stimulation, emotional bonding, and learning. Fathers can:

Read to their Children from picture books or tell stories in local languages to improve vocabulary.
Engage in Playful Parenting: Outdoor games, singing, building blocks, or pretend play help in developing motor and social skills.
Teach by Example: Children model behaviours they see. Fathers who cook, clean, or resolve conflicts peacefully shape gender-equitable, emotionally intelligent adults.
Monitor Screen Time: With growing exposure to mobile phones and TV, men must help set boundaries and offer healthy alternatives.

Advocating for Healthcare and Nutrition Services

Men often control transport, finances, and access to outside services. They must:

Support Institutional Deliveries: Many home births in India occur due to lack of male support for hospital travel.
Allow and Encourage Participation in Nutrition Schemes: This includes attending Anganwadi centres and availing take-home rations.
Ensure Household Budget Allocation for health checkups, sanitary items, hygiene supplies, and quality food.
Interact with Frontline Workers: ASHAs, ANMs, and Anganwadi workers can involve men in health discussions for collective action.

Promoting Gender Equality in the Household

The most transformative role a man can play is in challenging gender roles within his own home:

Sharing Chores Equally: cooking, cleaning, caregiving - not as help but as duty.
Avoiding Preferential Treatment for sons over daughters in food, education, or freedom.
Listening to and Supporting Women’s Voices in household decision-making.
Encouraging Daughters to Pursue Education, sports, and self-reliance.

Conclusion

It’s time for our Indian society to redefine what it means to be a man, not through power or control, but through care, love, and shared responsibility. For every child fed by a father, every diaper changed by a grandfather, every lunch packed by a brother - we nourish not just bodies, but hearts, futures, and a nation.