Fathers' Involvement in Raising Children Aged 3–4 Years: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad

The patriarchal structure of many African societies, in which responsibility for children's well-being lies predominantly with women, raises the question of fathers' participation in childrearing. This study examines the factors that facilitate or hinder fathers' involvement in raising children aged 3–4 years. To measure fathers' contribution to parenting, six activities were selected and grouped into two categories: cognitive and socio-emotional. The study used data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and included fathers aged 15–49 years whose children, aged 3–4 years, were living with them at the time of the survey. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses conducted on MICS data collected between 2014 and 2019 showed that only one-quarter of fathers contributed to the development of cognitive development, and one-third participated in children's socio-emotional activities. Although child gender and mothers' attitudes and beliefs regarding gender roles and gender equality did not influence paternal support in the cognitive dimension, they were significantly associated with the socio-emotional dimension. In contrast, paternal polygamy and child age influenced cognitive support without affecting socio-emotional support. Country of residence, marital status, and education level were significantly associated with both categories of paternal support. The findings suggest that national peace and security, marital status, and higher levels of education are associated with greater paternal investment in children's cognitive and socio-emotional development.