Keira Knightley Wants Us To Stop Praising Fathers For Basic Parental Duties

Oct 09, 2020

Many women have the same question as actress Keira Knightley. Why are men given praise for taking basic care of their children? The British actress recently shed light on the fact society applauds dads for merely being a parent, and the double standards for men and women in the working sector. 

The mother of two says that people would never give praise to a mom for doing the same things. She has two daughters, ages five and one with husband rocker James Righton, and wants to know why we don't ask men about their work-life balance.

Knightley explained women are always asked about the time they spend working, and that "the guilt is absolutely constant" when she is not with her children in an interview with Hello Giggles. She continues by saying, "Why do we not expect a working man to be looking after their children as much as their partner is? Why do we assume that they don’t feel guilty about not spending enough time with their children as well?"

In the interview, she also makes it clear that in society, it's a bonus when a dad is a dad. While men in the workplace are often not asked about their childcare, women seem to always be asked about what they're doing with their children when they're working, she elaborated.

Knightley is not new to activism. She's often spoken out about the objectification she’s faced along the way, especially with her rise as a teenage star. In a 2019 interview on the podcast "Feminists Don't Wear Pink", she explained that her 2002 film “Bend It Like Beckham” was originally supposed to be a sexy film with girls in shorts playing soccer. She also said after her “King Arthur” premiere in 2004 paparazzi wouldn't leave her alone, concentrating on her clothes, weight, and boyfriends more than anything else in her life.

In the Hello Giggles interview, she also added that men are given a "free pass" when it comes to child care, and that needs to stop.

 What did you think about Kiera's words? If you share in Kiera's thoughts, pass this on to friends so society can try to make a change along the way.