ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — Today, less than 1 in 5 men in the U.S. are offered any paid paternity leave by their employer. Dove Men+Care launched Tuesday the next phase of the brand’s social mission that champions paternity leave for dads everywhere, and invites everyone to show their support for every dad’s right to paid leave by signing The Pledge for Paternity Leave — because when dads take leave, everyone benefits, including our families, workplaces and communities. To further support this cause, Dove Men+Care will also make a $1 million commitment to fund dads and their families nationwide who don’t have access to paid paternity leave.

“Since we launched in 2010, the Dove Men+Care brand has communicated that modern masculinity is defined by the way men care,” Nick Soukas, vice president of skin cleansing and baby care for Unilever. “By supporting this important initiative, our goal is to increase utilization rates of paid paternity leave for those men who have access to it and encourage other companies to come together and offer men paid paternity leave so they can take the time to care for their families.”

While 50% of dads believe they should take paternity leave, almost three-quarters of them agree there’s still little to no workplace support. To spark increased societal and policy change at the business and governmental levels, Dove Men+Care is launching The Pledge for Paternity Leave, a call to action for everyone – new and expectant dads, allies and business owners – to sign and drive increased awareness around the importance of access to paid leave policies to bond with a new child. Each pledge will signal to dads everywhere that they can and should feel safe when asking for their right to paid paternity leave.

“Through my own experience becoming a father, I saw firsthand the importance of taking paternity leave and being there for my family during a critical time in our lives,” said Alexis Ohanian, co-founder and managing partner of Initialized Capital. “No dad should have to sacrifice taking leave, and I’ve been very public about taking mine in an effort to show other men that you can still be an ambitious businessperson while also taking time for your family. And it’s not just fathers who reap the benefits – it’s in the best interest of families, workplaces and communities to support dads in taking leave. Working with Dove Men+Care, I will continue to try to tackle some of the societal stigmas that exist around paternity leave, and advocate for paid leave to be a right for dads everywhere.”

When asked, nearly 7 out of 10 dads said they would change jobs to be more involved in the early weeks and months of caring for their newborn or adopted child.⁴ Understanding that dads should not have to choose between a paycheck and their children, Dove Men+Care will also launch The Dove Men+Care Paternity Leave Fund, a $1 millioncommitment through 2020 to fund real dads who are currently unable to take meaningful time off during this important life moment. While our push to make paid paternity leave the new standard is a long-term mission, expectant dads are in urgent need of support right now, and The Paternity Leave Fund is available for new or expectant dads who do not currently have access to paid leave through their employer, and all eligible dads are encouraged to apply for the Fund for the chance to receive a $5,000 grant.