Juan Cortes, Leader, Hombres al Cuidado project: We can all say it as the same time, first thing we are told is that men don¡¯t cry.
CNN Correspondent: And that includes, for example, learning how to tie a ponytail.
Juan Cortes: 3Combing hair is not just about combing hair, it¡¯s about the 4emotional connection that you create. Investing in men learning about care will allow us to assume this responsibility at home and yet I don¡¯t lose 5masculinity.
CNN Correspondent: That care, something Colombian men just like these didn't really know how to give. During the pandemic 6lockdowns, many looked for help as they were unable to 7look after their families. 8Domestic violence reports in the country also 9soaring.
Stefano Pozzebo, CNN, Reporter: Colombian women are 10disproportionately in charge of household chores and of raising children. And projects like these are already having an impact.
CNN Correspondent: According to research from Bogota City Hall shared 11exclusively with CNN, men who said they were entirely responsible for household chores roughly doubled since the project was 12launched in 2021. The 13transition from classroom to the real world is fast. Harold Pardo is a father of four and he's the one in charge of the school run.
¡°Have you got homework to do?¡±
¡°Yes I do, in English.¡±
That is change. Like many Colombians, growing up Harold was not as close to his father as he is now to his children. But it's not all family care for Pardo. He's studying to work in healthcare administration. And once a week, he and his friends gather for a 14ritual of Latin American 15manliness. But even here, the tables are turning. Soon enough, Pardo says, they could be gathering for play dates and changing 16diapers.
