Hansard

I thank Gordon MacDonald for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is important that we celebrate what fathers are today, in the 21st century. One reason why I know a bit about Dads Rock is that it came to the Equal Opportunities Committee when we held an inquiry into fathers and parenting. I was pleased to be part of that inquiry and I shared some of my experiences with some of the members of Dads Rock.

Like Gordon MacDonald, I have to declare an interest, as I was a single father for more than 10 years. Groups such as Dads Rock are now providing great support for people like me. Let us not forget that more than 3 million children live in a single-parent household, that 23 per cent of households with dependent children are single-parent families and that about 8 per cent of single parents—about 136,000—are fathers. I was not on my own, and single fathers are definitely not on their own.

What so impressed me about Dads Rock, and the reason why I am so delighted to celebrate it today, is that it is so much in advance compared with some other groups. The Equal Opportunities Committee visited other groups; I went to see one in Aberdeen, in the region that I represent, which was more focused on fathers who have some other problems as well as looking after their children. I recognise the approach that Dads Rock takes. The T-shirts that the Dads Rock representatives in the gallery are wearing are fantastic; they look great, and the name is so important.

What I mean by that is that, as Dads Rock said in some of the evidence that it gave us, dads are perceived as the rock in families but in fact, as I know for myself, just like mothers, fathers have times when they need support. They are no more rocks than mothers are and it is very important that, in 21st century Scotland, we recognise that fathers need help as well.

Fathers and mothers need maximum support. Particularly in today’s society, in which gender is still stereotyped, fathers not only need support but need to come out of the darkness. They are not visible. Fathers are not as seen as mothers and it is important that we change the attitudes of people around us.

Dads Rock is doing a fantastic job. I refer again to its T-shirts. They have the visual effect of saying, “We are dads and we are proud to be fathers. We want to be seen, just like mothers.” Vulnerability is important. We may be seen as a rock inside the family and as a big part of the family, but that rock is fragile as well and needs as much help as possible.

Dads Rock is a fantastic idea. The idea that more and more such groups are growing throughout Scotland makes me proud to be in the debate and to celebrate the fact that we are fathers. We do not celebrate the role of fathers enough. We need to celebrate it a lot more. I remember that, at school, mother’s day was always a special day and, somehow, father’s day was a lesser day. We need to address that. We need to shout from the rooftops the contribution that fathers make.

As I said, I am delighted to speak about the role of fathers in society today. Members should believe me that, just like mothers, fathers need all the support that they can get. I recognise Dads Rock, which is encouraging fathers to be all that they can be.