by Tom Connolly
Let’s be real: Father’s Day is usually… underwhelming.
A pat on the back, a new mug, maybe a half-hearted “World’s Best Dad” card from the corner store. No frills, no fireworks. While Mother’s Day gets floral fanfare and heartfelt Instagram essays, Father’s Day too often gets lost somewhere between leftover barbecue and last-minute calls.
But maybe, just maybe it’s because we’ve underestimated the modern father. Especially the ones who are quietly changing the narrative, not just in their homes, but on a global scale.
At Raising Women Magazine, we’re skipping the clichés and shining a soft, radiant spotlight on six global icons who are parenting with purpose and disrupting patriarchy in the most unexpected ways. They’re not just raising daughters, they’re raising the standard for what love, leadership, and legacy look like.
These men aren’t perfect (because who is?). But they’re powerful in a way the world needs more of: emotionally available, unapologetically supportive, and refreshingly unafraid to put femininity on a pedestal. Whether they’re making policy or packing lunchboxes, these dads are making space for women to rise, beginning with the little ones who call them “Dad.”
So, forget the socks. Let’s toast the kings who raise queens.
Global Icons Raising Daughters and the Bar
Barack Obama: Dad-in-Chief of Daughters and Dreams
Before he led the free world, he was leading with bedtime stories. Barack Obama turned the simple act of fathering into something revolutionary, one school drop-off, dance recital, and feminist soundbite at a time.
Sure, he launched Let Girls Learn and gave Michelle the global stage she deserved. But what’s most compelling? The intimacy of his parenting. The way he let Sasha and Malia speak up, push back, and process the world on their terms, while the whole world watched.
When he said, “I’m a feminist,” it wasn’t for applause. It was lived truth. And through the Obama daughters, we’ve all seen what happens when girls are raised with love, room, and relentless belief in their potential.
Let’s be clear: Obama didn’t just change politics. He changed how we see powerful men and the power of being soft.
Aamir Khan: Bollywood’s Boldest Girl Dad
In India, tradition runs deep. But Aamir Khan? He runs deeper, into the heart of hard conversations, cultural taboos, and systemic injustice. With his hit show Satyamev Jayate, he didn’t just spotlight social issues, he grabbed the mic and challenged a nation to rethink everything from female infanticide to domestic violence.
And when he played the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat in Dangal, the story of a father training his daughters to become wrestling champions, it wasn’t just acting. It was a blueprint. A statement. A rallying cry.
Offscreen, Khan walks that talk with his daughter, Ira. He’s vocal about mental health, supportive of her choices, and tender in a way most South Asian dads are taught to suppress.
In a culture where masculinity often means authority, Khan is quietly showing a different model, one built on empowerment, not enforcement.
Ryan Holiday: The Dad Whisperer
No cape. No theatrics. Just timeless truths, whispered daily into the ears of thousands of dads who didn’t know they needed them.
Ryan Holiday, author, philosopher, and modern parenting guru, has made a career out of reminding men to be calm in chaos, present in pressure, and grounded in growth. Through his Daily Dad newsletter, he doesn’t shout advice. He offers it like a morning cup of tea, steady, soothing, soul-centered.
His writings are simple but seismic: about stopping to breathe, choosing love over pride, and never letting ambition eclipse the moment. In a world obsessed with hustle, Holiday is the guy saying, “Hey, your daughter just smiled. That’s the moment.”
We love a dad who’s philosophical. But we stan one who makes patience poetic.
Prince Harry: Royal Rule-Breaker with a Tender Core
You could write an entire Shakespearean drama about Prince Harry’s exit from the royal spotlight. But strip away the titles, tabloids, and tiaras, and you’ll see what really drove him: fatherhood.
Leaving the monarchy wasn’t a tantrum. It was an act of generational healing. A declaration that cycles of silence, trauma, and stoicism had to end with him.
In stepping back, he stepped forward: into therapy, vulnerability, and co-parenting that puts love above legacy. With Meghan by his side, Harry is raising Archie and Lilibet in a home that celebrates truth over tradition.
He’s not perfect. But he’s honest. And when a man chooses peace over performance, for his children, that’s a kind of royalty we respect.
Mo Salah: Football’s Soft Power Dad
If you’ve ever seen Mo Salah score, you’ve probably cheered. But the real magic? It’s in the moments after the match, when he kneels in prayer, scoops up his daughter Makka, and makes it clear: goals are great, but family is everything.
In Egypt, where conservative norms often dictate gender roles, Salah’s gentleness is radical. He champions women’s rights publicly. He includes his daughters in every celebration. He makes space for his wife’s voice and visibility on red carpets, on Instagram, and in every interview.
Salah’s superpower isn’t his speed. It’s his softness. He’s showing the Middle East and the world that masculinity can be nurturing, nuanced, and non-traditional.
And honestly? That’s a flex more men should try.
Femi Otedola: Billionaire Dad, Feminist at Heart
When your dad is a billionaire, people expect privilege. But what Femi Otedola gave his daughters? Power. Real, earned, unapologetic power. From Florence “DJ Cuppy” breaking into Nigeria’s male-dominated music scene, to Temi building a brand that blends style and substance, the Otedola sisters weren’t just handed opportunities, they were groomed to lead, create, and conquer.
What makes their dad extraordinary isn’t the money. It’s the mindset. He believes his daughters can outthink, outperform, and outshine and he backs that up with education, exposure, and emotional support.
In a continent where male inheritance still dominates, Otedola is rewriting what legacy looks like and it’s looking very female-forward.
What These Dads Are Really Doing
Across continents, cultures, and careers, these fathers are challenging the old rulebook. They’re not perfect. But they’re present. Fully, fiercely, and intentionally so.
They’re modeling masculinity that heals instead of hurts. They’re showing that strength isn’t in stoicism, it’s in softness. In showing up. In being human.
Their parenting isn’t performative. It’s powerful. And not because they’re doing anything extraordinary. But because, in a world that still teaches boys to be dominant and girls to be deferential, these dads dare to do things differently.
They’re not afraid to cry, to listen, to learn. They uplift the women in their lives not out of obligation, but out of admiration.
And maybe most importantly, they’re raising daughters who don’t just know they’re loved, but know they’re limitless.
Why This Father’s Day Feels Different
Because we’re no longer celebrating fathers just for showing up.
We’re celebrating the ones showing how to show up. With heart. With humility. With intention.
These men aren’t icons because of their fame. They’re icons because of their impact. Because they see fatherhood not as a footnote, but as a full-fledged mission. And they’re using their platforms be it political, cultural, royal, or religious to reframe what fathering looks like.
And that matters. Because when daughters grow up knowing their worth, when they’re taught to take up space and speak with certainty, the entire world shifts.
The ripple effect of a present, progressive dad? It stretches across generations. So this Father’s Day, we’re not just raising a glass. We’re raising a standard. And honoring the dads who raise powerful women with tenderness, trust, and the kind of love that doesn’t compete with ambition, it cultivates it.
Not because they have daughters. But because they believe daughters deserve the world. And they’re building it one bedtime story, boardroom nod, or tearful truth at a time.