George Gabriel (The Dad Shift) - Fair Paternity Leave, Radical Campaigning, and Building Better Futures

In this episode, host Rob Fawkes speaks with George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift, a campaign advocating for fairer paternity and secondary caregiver leave in the UK. George shares his personal story, from growing up with a feminist activist mother to leading campaigns for refugees and working in the tech sector at Meta. They discuss the urgent need for change in the UK’s parental leave policies, the challenges of launching a grassroots campaign, and how fatherhood shaped George’s perspective on equality and family life.

In this episode, we discuss:

• George’s Activist Roots: Growing up with a trailblazing feminist mother and how it influenced his passion for campaigning.

• Fatherhood and Parental Leave: George’s personal experiences during his paternity leave and the stark contrast between his opportunities and the statutory offer in the UK.

• Launching The Dad Shift Campaign: The mission to address the UK’s woefully inadequate paternity leave policies and the creative stunt used to grab public attention.

• Global Comparisons: Lessons from countries like Sweden, where shared parental leave policies help bridge the gender gap and support families better.

• Why Employers Should Care: The benefits of improved parental leave policies for businesses, from attracting and retaining talent to enhancing productivity.

• Advice for Aspiring Campaigners: Why starting, learning, and finding allies is key to building momentum for change.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Radicalism, candour, and kindness are muscles you have to build—and the only way to build them is to start."

• "The gender pay gap is a double bind—we can only solve it if more fathers take paternity leave."

• "Supporting families at critical moments isn’t just good for employees, it’s good for business too."

Get Involved:

• Sign the Dad Shift Letter to Labour: Visit The Dad Shift

Further Reading and Resources:

• The Fatherhood Institute: Advocating for gender equality in parenting.

• Pregnant Then Screwed: Fighting for parents' rights and better workplace policies.

• Richard Reeves' Book - Of Boys and Men: Exploring modern male challenges and solutions.

Follow George and The Dad Shift:

• George Gabriel on LinkedIn: George Gabriel LinkedIn

• The Dad Shift Website: The Dad Shift

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• Rob Fawkes on LinkedIn: Rob Fawkes LinkedIn

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