20 September, Minsk /Elena Melnikova - BELTA/. Father schools (groups for novice fathers) are planned to be opened in all regions of Belarus, stated Elena Komlik, chief specialist of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, at the opening of the Republican seminar-training on moderating father groups, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The father groups project "Conscious Fatherhood" is being implemented under the State Programme of Demographic Security and the Plan for Ensuring Gender Equality. "For Belarus, the stereotype that women are homemakers and men are solely breadwinners is still relevant," noted Elena Komlik. Father schools are designed to help men realise themselves in family life and develop the best paternal qualities – caring, tolerance, and responsibility. According to research by Norwegian specialists conducted in Sweden, where father groups originated, children and wives in families of father school "graduates" fall ill less often, and the fathers themselves live longer. Currently, six father schools operate in Belarus: five in Minsk and one in Gomel. The Republican seminar, taking place at the Minsk City Centre for Social Services for Family and Children from 20 to 21 September, will train moderators for the opening of new father schools in various cities of Belarus. Participants include people of different professions from Minsk, Gomel, Brest, Vitebsk, and Mogilev regions. Via conference call, they have already communicated with like-minded individuals from Russia and Sweden.-0-

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