The first ever global report on fatherhood just came out. Here's what it says.
Behold the power of a dad.
Approximately 80% of all the men and boys in the world will become dads in their lifetime.
That's a lot of dads (and dad-like figures)! And we've never really studied them ... until now.
Life is one wild ride.
The first ever global report on dads just came out. Here's what it says.
The State of the World's Fathers report comes from MenCare, a global fatherhood campaign that is looking at the state of men's contribution to parenting and caregiving around the world.
The main thing I learned? That men are a major part of the solution to achieve gender equality.
Here are five major ways how:
1) When fathers are involved before, during, and after the birth of a child, the positive effects are huge.
All graphics via MenCare.
In low- and middle-income countries, researchers found that male involvement was significantly associated with improved skilled birth attendance, utilization of postnatal care, and fewer women dying in childbirth.
Fewer women dying. That's a big deal.
They also found that male involvement helped to influence a woman's decision to immunize her child, which can be a lifesaver in itself.
2) Up to 77% of dads said that they would work less if it meant that they could have more time with their kids.
Maternity leave has become widespread in the world (except in the United States ... don't get me started on that!), but only 92 countries offer paternity leave for fathers — and usually only for a few weeks.
Except in Iceland. Iceland knows what's up, and men there take an average of 103 days of paid leave. That is AWESOME!
Clips via MenCare.
3) Involved fatherhood helps children thrive.
The report shows that a father's involvement has been linked to a lot of important factors in a child's development, including lower rates of depression, fear, and self-doubt.
4) Equality in the home means lower rates of violence against women and children.
Approximately 1 in 3 women will experience violence at the hands of a male partner in her lifetime. That statistic affects kids too, as they often witness some kind of violence in their home or even experience it themselves.
Studies have shown that boys who experience violence in their childhood are more likely to use it when they grow up. But research finds that a more balanced approach to caregiving between men and women can contribute to lower rates of violence toward children in the home and later on in their lives.
5) Sharing responsibilities in the home can alter the future.
The report shows that women spend 2-10 times longer, on average, caring for a child or older person than men do. If that gap were to close, it'd have a tremendous impact.
" When fathers take on their fair share of the unpaid care work, it can alter the nature of the relationships between men and women and children," said Nikki van der Gaag, State of the World's Fathers report author. "Both fathers and mothers will have more time for their children, women are released from some of their 'double burden,' and fathers get to experience the joys, satisfactions, and stresses of caring for their children."
A Generation Jones teenager poses in her room.Image via Wikmedia Commons
An office kitchen.via 
An angry man eating spaghetti.via 
At least it wasn't Bubbles. 
You just know there's a person named Whiskey out there getting a kick out of this. 
An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
- YouTube youtube.com
Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.