Fatherhood in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: An Examination of Barriers and Opportunities to Strengthen the Male Parenting Role

Abstract

Traditional Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies value men’s role as parents; however, the importance of promoting fatherhood as a key social determinant of men’s well-being has not been fully appreciated in Western medicine. To strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male parenting role, it is vital to examine current barriers and opportunities. The first author (a male Aboriginal health project officer) conducted yarning sessions in three remote Australian communities, two being Aboriginal, the other having a high Aboriginal population. An expert sample of 25 Aboriginal and 6 non-Aboriginal stakeholders, including maternal and child health workers and men’s group facilitators, considered barriers and opportunities to improve men’s parenting knowledge and role, with an aim to inform services and practices intended to support men’s parenting. A specific aim was to shape an existing men’s group program known as Strong Fathers, Strong Families. A thematic analysis of data from the project identified barriers and opportunities to support men’s role as parents. Challenges included the transition from traditional to contemporary parenting practices and low level of cultural and male gender sensitivity in maternal and child health services. Services need to better understand and focus on men’s psychological empowerment and to address shame and lack of confidence around parenting. Poor literacy and numeracy are viewed as contributing to disempowerment. Communities need to champion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male father role models. Biases and barriers should be addressed to improve service delivery and better enable men to become empowered and confident fathers.