New research ahead of Equal Parenting Week (27 April – 3 May 2026), reveals a stark gap between perception and reality, with 49% of dads believing parenting is equal compared to just 21% of mums, while 53% of mothers say their careers are negatively impacted versus 13% of fathers.
The survey of over 2,000 mums and dads, carried out by Parenting Out Loud with YouGov, uncovers a significant “invisible caring load”, with mothers continuing to do the majority of childcare.
- 72% of mums say they do more than 60% of parenting duties, compared to just 15% of dads.
- Only 35% of families say they are on an equal footing.
This reflects a wider structural issue. As highlighted in recent research many families are navigating shrinking support systems and rising childcare pressure, reinforcing unequal roles.
CAREER IMPACT: WORKING MUMS FALLINING BEHIND
The imbalance at home is directly impacting careers notes the research, which highlights that:
- 53% of mums say their careers have been negatively impacted, compared to just 13% of dads.
- Nearly 1 in 8 mothers step back from paid work entirely.
- 24% of dads say their career progressed at the same rate or faster, compared to just 11% of mums.
This is the motherhood penalty in action. Supporting research shows many women are still forced to limit their careers due to inflexible and outdated workplace practices.
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS FACING WORKING DADS
While mothers carry more of the load, the system is also failing fathers. Dads want to be more involved, notes the research, but they face structural barriers such as:
- Pressure to prioritise work.
- Limited paternity leave.
- Workplace stigma around caregiving.
Wider research reinforces this, which shows that 74% of dads want to spend more time with their children, yet many feel unable to ask for flexibility without risking their careers.
SYSTEM NOT WORKING FOR DADS EITHER
“Dads want to be equal parents, they want to be involved parents today more than ever before. But this data shows a glaring difference between perceptions and reality of equal parenting in the UK,” stated Elliott Rae, Founder of Parenting Out Loud and Equal Parenting Week. “But the blame is on the system – one that tells dads to provide and mums to care, rather than supporting the family to share the care in a way that works for them.
“At the moment, it’s not working for anyone, and it’s no surprise that working parents are at their wits’ end, relationships are strained and more young people are deciding not to have children at all.”
PARENTING INEQUALITY GAP: WHY IT EXISTS
The imbalance is driven by systems, not individual choices, as:
- Paternity leave is capped at 2 weeks.
- Whereas maternity leave can be taken up to 1 year.
- Workplace cultures reinforce traditional roles.
Another recent survey shows that many dads still face stigma when requesting flexibility, while mothers are expected to adjust their careers, reinforcing inequality over time.
WHAT EQUAL PARENTING LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE
Some families are actively working to change the balance. Michael Wilkins, a father of two, explains: “There’s still an imbalance… but it’s something we’re consciously working on together. The first real step was for me to be home more… moving to flexible working and condensing my hours so I could be more present, not just physically but mentally too. It shifted me from stepping in when needed to genuinely sharing responsibility.”
Ruchika and Vikram Kalara add: “The system isn’t neutral, it has a default, and the default is mum. From the moment paternity leave is capped at two weeks and maternity at a year, the architecture of early parenthood is already decided.What we’ve built is the confidence to step into whatever role the moment needs… without keeping score.”
HOW EMPLOYERS CAN HELP
Employers play a critical role in shaping parenting outcomes. With 65% of parents wanting employers to play a bigger role in childcare support, action is essential. Here are a few pointers to support both working mums and dads balance childcare responsibilities:
Make flexible working the default
As mentioned dads still face barriers and stigma when requesting flexibility, so it’s important to make flexible working the default. Additionally:
- Ensure all roles are advertised as flexible.
- Managers are trained to support it.
- Provide equal access across genders.
Encourage working dads to take paternity leave
Help create an environment where fathers are encouraged to take paternity leave by:
- Normalising paternity leave.
- Creating visible role models.
- Challenging bias.
Protect career progression for working mums
It’s important to protect career progression for working mums by:
- Tracking outcomes post-parenthood.
- Ensuring flexible roles still progress.
- Removing career penalties.
Treat childcare as a business issue
It’s vital to ensure that childcare is treated as business issue, and better support working parents struggling with childcare issues as:
- 81% of parents say support networks are shrinking.
- 60% rely on patchwork childcare.
Build a “Parenting Out Loud” culture
As Elliott encourages, it’s vital to create a ‘parenting out loud workplace culture, where you:
- Normalise caregiving visibility.
- Support openness.
- Create parent networks.
Attend Equal Parenting Week and to help drive change
Employers and employees are encouraged to part in the free Equal Parenting Week (27 April – 3 May 2026), a national campaign launched by Parenting Out Loud. The new Equal Parenting Week, for parents, employers and policymakers, is designed to challenge traditional gender roles in caregiving and champion a more balanced, inclusive approach to parenting at home and in the workplace.
This national awareness and action campaign, will culminate in a Push for Paternity Leave pram march with hundreds of parents descending on parliament with prams to highlight that dads need better paternity leave so that they can show up as more equal parents from the outset.
The most practical step employers and leaders can take is to get involved. Attending events during the week will help organisations to:
- Learn from real experiences.
- Understand what works.
- Start meaningful internal change.
Just one session can help move from awareness to action, create stronger families, improve mental health of working parents, as well as result in improved gender equality and economic growth. Because ultimately when care is shared more equally, everyone benefits – families, workplaces and society.
Click here to find out more.
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