Introduction

The promotion of gender equality is a major aim behind many Parental Leave systems and an important part of the family policy discourse in all the Nordic countries, namely: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The extensive and well-paid leave rights for both men and women contribute to consistently placing these countries high on gender equality rankings, such as, for example, the Global Gender Gap (World Economic Forum, 2016). Entitlement to leave rights alone is not sufficient to create gender equality, but Nordic fathers increasingly make use of the legislation, which should move these countries towards that goal. Leave legislation is the cornerstone for the take-up of leave by fathers and any subsequent impact this may have, but take-up is also related to other labour market legislation, ECEC services and other arrangements, as well as cultural norms that restrict or enable Parental Leave use.

Often-mentioned outcomes of fathers taking Parental Leave are that they become more involved in childcare, and that it enhances the earlier return of mothers to paid employment; job-protected Parental Leave has historically proved important primarily for mothers’ labour market participation and work hours. Other outcomes referred to in the Nordic countries include relatively low child poverty rates and relatively high fertility rates. Mothers’ and fathers’ Parental Leave use, as well as their division of leave, may have an immediate effect on sharing childcare and household work. It may also in the long run consolidate a certain gendered division of responsibility for these tasks. However, generous leave entitlements may weaken parents’ positions in the labour market and reduce career opportunities if employers expect them to take long spells out of working life.

Even if the Parental Leave system in the Nordic countries is part of a policy context that generally seeks to encourage gender equality, for example through the support of shared parenthood and protection of parents in the labour market, there is still a long way to go. The Nordic countries have highly gender-segregated labour markets, a persistent gender wage gap, and women do most unpaid housework and childcare. This is partly related to the fact that women still use much more of the entitlement to Parental Leave than men (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2016).