Dove Men+Care, Alexis Ohanian, and PL+US fight for Paid Paternity Leave in Washington, D.C.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than 1 in 5 men in the U.S. are able to take a single day of paid paternity leave. Today, Dove Men+Care and its partners – PL+US, the leading national paid family leave advocacy group, and Alexis Ohanian, a notable paid paternity leave advocate, internet entrepreneur and father – head to Capitol Hill for The Dads Day of Action with a group of real dads from across the country to fight for national paid paternity leave. They will meet today to discuss the dire need for federally-provided paid family leave with key members of Congress, including Sen. Gillibrand (D-NY), Rep. Clyburn (D-SC 6^th District), Sen. Lee (R-UT) and Sen. Cassidy (R-LA).

"Over the past few months, I have worked with Dove Men+Care to mobilize a community of supporters to advocate for every father's right to paid family leave," said Alexis Ohanian, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Initialized Capital. "Over 36,000 dads, allies and supporters have signed the Pledge for Paternity Leave, and we have heard compelling stories from tens of thousands of families who have applied for immediate paid family relief through the Dove Men+Care Paternity Leave Fund. After the birth of my daughter, Olympia, I quickly realized how important it was for me to take the time to support my wife and bond with my daughter from the very beginning. As we embark on Washington, D.C., our group of 'Dadvocates' will share our own unique experiences with the policymakers who have the opportunity to make significant change."

During the Dads Day of Action, Dove Men+Care and its partners will meet with Democratic and Republican members of Congress to actively pursue policy change. In each meeting, the collective team will share social proof of the tens of thousands of signatures for the Pledge, the emotional stories of the real families who need leave, and research and data proving the benefits of paternity leave. The objective of these conversations is to identify the best ways to make paid paternity leave the new standard for all dads, and to bring paid family leave to everyone in the U.S.

Dove Men+Care is dedicated to discussing the benefits of paid paternity leave with a wide and diverse audience of lawmakers and thought leaders. Dove Men+Care and PL+US will also host an evening reception with the #FutureForum, a group of Representatives who are focused on issues and opportunities for millennials in the U.S. The reception is open to all members of Congress and leaders of other advocacy groups and key organizations that prioritize issues for parents and working families. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL-7), Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) and others will speak about their own experiences as working parents, and how it is so important for parents to be able to bond with and care for their children, regardless of gender.

Dads and allies can visit  DoveMenCare.com/Pledge to sign The Pledge for Paternity Leave. A variety of tools and resources to help advocate for change locally or within one's place of business are also available at the Dove Men+Care community page: Advocates for Paternity Leave and on PL+US' website at www.paidleave.us. 

About Dove Men+Care U.S.: 
Dove Men+Care is the first range of products from Dove developed specially for men. Manufactured by Unilever, the line includes the #1 dermatologist recommended bars and body washes in the U.S. Launched in 2010, the Dove Men+Care portfolio includes bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, and hair care. Dove Men+Care is available nationwide in food, drug, and mass outlet stores.

About Paid Leave for the United States (PL+US): 
PL+US is the national campaign to win bold and comprehensive paid family leave by 2022. Founded by Katie Bethell, who Fortune Magazine named one of the world's greatest leaders, the organization has helped win paid family leave for nearly 6 million people at companies like Walmart, Starbucks, CVS and more in partnership with employees, employers, consumers, and investors.

About Unilever United States, Inc.:
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Caress, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Schmidt's Naturals, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington's, St. Ives, Suave, Sundial Brands, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TONI&GUY, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company's strategy and commits to:

• Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
• Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
• Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.

The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. Globally, the company's sustainable living brands grew 46% faster than the rest of the business and delivered more than 70% of the company's growth in 2017.

For more information on Unilever U.S., its brands, and the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan visit: www.unileverusa.com

Related Links:
www.DoveMenCare.com/Pledge
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdvocatesforPaternityLeave/

Contact:
Jessica Ostrau / Edelman
212-704-4595
[email protected]

SOURCE Dove Men+Care