Growing Wave of Support for Shared Parenting Around the World

PRESS RELEASE
G. Lawrence DeMarco, LLM
Email: info@menandboys.net
Phone: +1-215-901-1930

Growing Wave of Support for Shared Parenting Around the World

July 17, 2025 — Shared parenting arrangements are desirable because children living with a single parent are at significantly higher risk of abuse compared to those living with both parents: 64% greater risk of emotional neglect, 165% greater risk of physical neglect, 77% greater risk of physical abuse, and 80% greater risk of serious injury or harm (1).

Despite these risks, in most countries fathers routinely lose primary access to their children following separation or divorce (2). A survey across 37 North American and European countries found that joint physical custody was awarded in less than 5% of cases (3).

This systemic marginalization contributes to widespread harm. Research shows that children—particularly boys—face elevated risks of academic underperformance, emotional distress, and behavioral challenges when deprived of regular contact with their fathers (4).

Momentum for reform is now accelerating worldwide:

On April 23, the National Parents Organization released its 2025 Shared Parenting Report Card, providing a detailed assessment of the legal landscape in all 50 U.S. states. The report is a critical resource for evaluating how well states support children’s access to both parents (5).
On April 26, advocates across multiple countries marked the annual observance of Shared Parenting Day, a date selected to highlight international unity around this issue (6).
On June 17, the Danish Fathers’ Association launched a landmark human rights case challenging systemic discrimination against fathers and equal co-parents. By invoking international human rights conventions, the case seeks to spotlight legal inequality in family law, and has the potential to trigger reform beyond Denmark’s borders (7).
Just two weeks later, on June 29, more than 40 speakers presented at a virtual summit hosted by Americans for Equal Shared Parenting. Participants included lawmakers, authors, and advocates representing 27 U.S. states. The summit addressed strategic reforms including Title IV-D incentive changes, prevention of false allegations, and the implementation of shared parenting legislation (8)(9).
On December 3-5, the International Council on Shared Parenting will hold its Seventh International Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, offering global research and policy solutions for equal parenting (10).

Strengthening shared parenting laws is not only a matter of fairness, but a proven pathway to better outcomes for children and stronger families (2). Yet only a few countries have adopted equal shared parenting in practice—among them Belgium (11), Spain (12), Sweden, Switzerland, and Brazil (13)—while Australia recently repealed its shared parenting framework (14).

Lawmakers must advance policies that ensure children retain meaningful relationships with both parents, while media and advocates must expose the human cost of one-sided custody systems.

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization committed to celebrating the contributions of men to society and addressing the twelve major disparities affecting men and boys worldwide. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen will also benefit women.
https://www.menandboys.net/

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