Empowering Daddy’s Little Girl: A Selective Review and Synthesis of Literature on Fathers’ Engagement With Daughters and its Potential to Empower Daughters

Abstract

Globally, research conducted over the last two decades has shown that fathers can positively impact their daughters’ well-being across various life domains. However, studies rarely locate these findings within the context of women’s empowerment. This synthetic review aims to do so by providing an integrated discussion of research relating to fathers’ contribution to daughters’ egalitarian gender socialization, and thus, women’s empowerment. This contribution may not be apparent upon examination of each research article in isolation. Collectively, the reviewed literature indicates that fathers indeed have the potential to empower their daughters and play a role in shaping daughters’ gendered beliefs, specifically when it comes to daughters’ confident engagement with themselves, romantic partners, and vocational and educational opportunities. Thus, we conclude that the father-daughter relationship should be viewed as a powerful site of gender construction that could be harnessed to enhance women’s empowerment. Avenues for future research are discussed.