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Young Father and Househusband (April 30, 2006)

Social change in Germany has also affected gender roles and relationships. Nevertheless, complete gender-role reversals – e.g., stay-at-home dads and breadwinner moms – still remain rare, since many people feel that such reversals violate cultural norms. According to the Federal Office of Statistics, five million women were registered as housewives in 2003; the number of househusbands was just 110,000. It was hoped that the parental benefit allowance [Elterngeld] introduced in 2007 would encourage more men to take parental leave, and just one year after its introduction, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth was indeed able to report an increase in the proportion of fathers staying at home. Whereas only 3.5 percent of men in Germany took parental leave in 2007, the figure rose to 12.4 in 2008. Photo: Patrick Seeger.

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Young Father and Househusband (April 30, 2006)

picture-alliance/ dpa/dpaweb
(c) dpa – Report