International Center of Fatherhood

Fatherhood is not a coincidence, but the mission of life.

Father's Day History in Ukraine

 

  • year 2001

     

    For the first time, the public association of women raised the issue of establishing an official Father's Day in Ukraine.


    year 2003

     

    An initiative group led by Oleksandr Marchenko registered the International Center of Fatherhood NGO, with the aim of restoring in Ukraine a culture of responsible fatherhood and strengthening the role of the father in the family and society at the state level.


    year 2005

     

    The Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine the 1st Draft Decree of the President "On Father's Day", but the draft was rejected as "irrelevant."


    year 2006

    PUBLIC INITIATIVE FATHER'S DAY

    Seeing that Father’s Day was attributed to “not relevant question” at the state level, the International Center of Fatherhood NGO launched a public initiative to establish an official celebration of Father’s Day in Ukraine, which started with 10,000 signatures of Ukrainian citizens under a corresponding appeal to the President of Ukraine in her support.В Україні День батька святкується на третю неділю вересня


    year 2007

    OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE INITIATIVE

    President of the "International Center of Fatherhood" Alexander Marchenko during a press conference in UNIAN officially proclaimed the goal of the Public Initiative, which is to officially celebrate Father's Day in Ukraine.

    Офіційне проголошення мети громадсбкої ініціативи

    year 2008

    STATE INITIATIVE ON DRAFT Decree "ON FATHER'S DAY"

    According to the results of the All-Ukrainian Forum "The Importance of the Role of the Father in the Family and Society", the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports of Ukraine in close cooperation with the public prepared the 2nd Draft Decree of the President of Ukraine "On Father's Day", which was approved by the Humanitarian Committee under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

    The Ministry developed and submitted for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers the 2nd Draft Presidential Decree "On Father's Day" - it was again rejected by the Cabinet, as it was then explained, "until stabilisation the situation connected with the global financial crisis".


    year 2009

    THE BEGINNING OF FATHER'S DAY IN UKRAINE AT THE THIRD SUNDAY OF SEPTEMBER

    Since 2009, in support of the draft presidential decree "On Father’s Day," the general public annually with the active support of local authorities celebrates Father’s Day on the third Sunday of September.


    year 2013

    DRAFT DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE ABOUT "ON FATHER'S DAY"

    The introduction of Father’s Day becomes one of the tasks of fulfilling the State Target Social Program for Family Support until 2016, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 05.15.2013 No. 341. In pursuance of this program, the 3rd Draft Decree of the President of Ukraine “On Father's Day” was developed and agreed with the central executive authorities and of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, which is proposed to be celebrated annually on the third Sunday of September. The indicated draft Decree was adopted by the Government of Ukraine on September 23, 2013 and sent for consideration to the President of Ukraine (letter of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 04.10.2013 No. 12561/0 / 2-13), but the political crisis of 2014 prevented its signing.


    June 17, 2015

    RECOMMENDATIONS OF PARLIAMENTARIANS OF THE RADA ON THE CELEBRATION OF "FATHER'S DAY"

    The parliamentary hearings on the topic "Family policy of Ukraine - goals and objectives" were held. According to the results of the hearings, the President of Ukraine was recommended to establish Father's Day in Ukraine, which is celebrated annually (P. 1 of the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of December 8, 2015 No. 854-VIII). In turn, the Humanitarian Committee of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine processed this project and gave it a positive assessment.


    year 2017 - 2018

    A NEW WAVE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE OFFICIAL INTRODUCTION OF THE “FATHER'S DAY” CELEBRATION IN UKRAINE

    In Ukraine, a number of forums and round tables were held at which representatives of public organizations, state institutions and religious communities reiterated the need for the official introduction of Father's Day at the national level and supported the signing by the President of Ukraine of the draft Decree of the President of Ukraine "On Father's Day", which was approved The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine September 23, 2013 and sent for consideration to the President of Ukraine (letter of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 04.10.2013 No. 12561/0 / 2-13), which provides for the establishment of Father's Day at the national level on the third Sunday of September. Among others, such international organizations as the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine, the International School for Equal Opportunities, and the Federation of Women for World Peace voted in support of this initiative..


    year 2018

    PERCEPTION OF THE "FATHER'S DAY" INFORMAL CELEBRATION INITIATIVE BY LOCAL SELF-GOVERNING BODIES

    We received answers to the official request of the International Center of Fatherhood NGO to the City Councils and regional state administrations for access to public information about the celebration of Father’s Day as part of the implementation of the State targeted social program for family support until 2016, according to which the vast majority of city and regional state administrations who joined the unofficial Father's Day celebrated this day on the third Sunday of September.

    Thus, the public, with the active support of local authorities, continues to annually celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday of September.

    Those who did not join the celebration of Father's Day indicated that the reason was his unofficial status in Ukraine, and, accordingly, the lack of funds for its celebration.


    year 2018

    NEW GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE ON THE DRAFT DECREE "ON FATHER'S DAY"

     

    On behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klimpush-Tsintsadze, the Ministry of Social Policy has developed a new, 4th Draft Decree of the President of Ukraine "On Father's Day" and posted it for public discussion on the official website of the ministry: https://www.msp.gov.ua/projects/381/

    The relevance of the celebration of Father's Day at the national level

    This requires society to establish parity between women and men, to overcome gender stereotypes in society and the family. Both man and woman are responsible to society and the state for raising children, they are equal in rights and duties.

    Modern family

    If society and the state conceptualize the modern family as a partnership, rather than totalitarian (dominant), which is built and has prospects to be formed on the principles of gender equality, then they should state the equal importance and equal responsibility of the mother and father to the child, and therefore express this in their celebration at Mother's Day and Father's Day.

    Educational factor

    Celebration at the state level of Father's Day in such conditions becomes a formative and educational factor in fatherhood and responsibility for it and will have an educational impact for male society.

    The purpose and objectives of the Decree on "Father's Day"

    The purpose and objective of the adoption of this Decree is to provide favorable conditions for the comprehensive development of the family as the basis of society and to increase the status of men as father in the educational process of children.

    By decree it is proposed to celebrate Father's Day in Ukraine on the third Sunday of September on an equal footing with Mother's Day, Family Day. At public discussions among specialists from the relevant ministries, it was recognized that this period is very convenient in view of the effectiveness of achieving the goal of Father’s Day in Ukraine.

    International practice of celebrating Father's Day

    Celebrating Father's Day in the world does not have a single date. Like Mother's Day, each country determines the days or dates for Father's Day based on its own characteristics and goals. For example, Father's Day in Germany falls on the Christian holiday of the Ascension of the Lord (May), Lithuania on the first Sunday of June, in the USA on the third Sunday of June, in Poland on June 23, Australia on the first Sunday of September, Estonia, Sweden and Finland Father's Day celebrated on the second Sunday of November, etc.

    Summary

    The introduction of Father's Day in Ukraine at the state level will provide an opportunity to coordinate the efforts of all branches of government and public organizations in the field of popularizing family lifestyles, contribute to the formation of responsible fatherhood and motherhood, and will also give a new impetus to preparing young people for marriage.


    May 8, 2019

    SIGNING THE DRAFT ACTION OF THE DECREE BY THE CABINET OF MINISTERS

    On May 8, 2019, at its meeting, the Government made the decision necessary to introduce the celebration of Father's Day in Ukraine, which they proposed to celebrate Father's Day annually on the third Sunday of June.

    Why the date was changed to the third Sunday of June, instead of the third Sunday of September, which was proposed by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and agreed at public discussions, is unknown. See letters of approval of the draft Decree developed by the Ministry of Social Policy here: https://t2m.io/wHEQ7QzX

    Our assessment of what happened with the change in the date of the celebration of Father's Day can be found here: What is wrong with the official celebration of Father's Day in Ukraine? 


    May 10, 2019

     

    On May 10, 2019, signed by the Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, the Government submitted a corresponding draft Decree to the Administration of the President of Ukraine. View the draft decree and supporting documents at this link: https://t2m.io/XRnEFyuw

    Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 274/2019


    May 18, 2019

     

    President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a decree that established the celebration of Father's Day in Ukraine, annually on the third Sunday of June.

    View the Decree on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine here: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/274/2019

    The goal of the Public Initiative to establish an official celebration of Father's Day in Ukraine is achieved!

    For 13 years shoulder to shoulder with our friends and partners, we fought for the official recognition of Father's Day in Ukraine. Year after year, more and more cities and towns all over Ukraine joined the Initiative, celebrating Father's Day. An important result is that this holiday became ALL-national long before its official recognition at the state level! Therefore, this is a common achievement of all of us - Ukrainians!


    And remember, Father's Day - every day:)

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