Finland’s Female Leaders Give Dads More Rights

Finland is almost doubling its paid paternity leave, in a drive to improve gender equality and give new dads the same amount of time off – nearly seven months – as new moms.

The female-led Finnish government has made gender equality a priority, and hopes this “radical reform” will encourage fathers to take an equal role in childcare.

Minister of Health and Social Affairs Aino-Kaisa Pekonen says splitting domestic workload more equally decreases the risk of divorce, adding, “Over a longer term, it also improves equality in working life and in wages by directing fathers to use a larger proportion of parental leaves than before.”

Around half of the parental leave can additionally be given to the other parent, and pregnant women are also entitled to a one-month pregnancy leave before their due date.