Gender equality is a reality in Finland, a country that the Global Gender Gap called the second-most equal country in the world in 2016. This equality is especially important for young families. Both women and men are free to pursue professional careers, and after babies are born, both mothers and fathers share the child-rearing duties equally. In fact, fathers are so involved that a 2017 study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that, on average, dads spend eight more minutes with the kids each day than moms do.
All for the children:
- In Finland, both mothers and fathers are eligible for generous amounts of parental leave. Mothers can take four months off from work at full salary, while fathers can take nine weeks, at 70 percent of their salary.
- When parental leave ends, one parent has the right to stay home and receive €450 a month (about $526 USD) until the child is three years old. That parent is then entitled to return to the same job.
- For more than 100 years, Finland has been at the forefront of women’s rights. In 1906, for example, Finland was the first European country to give women the right to vote.