Swedish fathers taking parental leave are not at all uncommon in this country
The result of many years of struggle
As Sweden.ru writes, in Sweden, as in many other countries around the world, for a long time men and women were assigned a strictly defined place in society, which was the basis of inequality. For many centuries, women did not have the right to higher education, to choose a profession or a partner – in short, they could not control their own destiny. At the beginning of the last century, a struggle for women's rights unfolded in many countries, and Sweden actively took up this baton.
At the heart of modern Swedish society today is the idea of the equal value of every individual, regardless of gender, religion, ethnic origin, age, or sexual identity. This principle implies, in particular, ensuring equal access to education for both men and women, the right to professional activity in all fields, personal integrity, protection from violence and discrimination based on gender.
In addition, Sweden believes that inequality is easier to overcome if educational work begins in kindergartens and schools, conveying to both children and adults the idea that all people are equal, worthy of respect and have the right to make their own choices in life, and that no one has the right to show violence or aggression towards another.
Lessons in equality
According to the Swedish Education Act, adopted in 1996, the principle of equality must cover all aspects of schooling. This means, first of all, that girls and boys should be in equal conditions, that the teacher should not divide students by gender, or evaluate them based on any gender stereotypes.
In Sweden, it is not customary to separate boys and girls in lessons or give them different tasks. For example, in handicraft lessons, boys and girls together learn sewing, knitting, wood carving and metalworking. In home economics classes, both boys and girls are taught to iron clothes, do laundry, cook food, and plan household expenses. At the same time, no gender distinctions are made, such as what is purely "male" or purely "female" work. Needless to say, a teacher in Sweden has no right to impose on children any stereotypes that would call into question gender equality.
Parental leave for dads
The social security system in Sweden provides equal rights for both parents to parental leave and promotes that childcare does not fall only on the mother's shoulders.
According to Swedish law, a family in Sweden is entitled to up to 480 days of paid parental leave. At the same time, the law requires each parent to take at least 90 of these 480 days, and the remaining 300 days to divide between themselves as they see fit. This allows many mothers not to interrupt their careers after the birth of a child and to return to work, entrusting the care of the baby to their partner for a time.
Fathers taking parental leave are not at all uncommon in Sweden. This is readily done by representatives of almost all professions, from parliamentarians to builders and police officers. True, it is worth noting that most often those partners who have higher education share this responsibility equally with mothers.
Nevertheless, despite the policy of supporting equality in families on the part of the Swedish state, women taking parental leave are still in the majority. About 27% of parental leave days are used by men, while the remaining 73% fall to women.
At work
In Sweden, it is not customary to divide professions into "male" and "female." There is no special quota system for women in the workplace, but when selecting an employee for a particular position, employers should proceed primarily from the qualifications and experience of the candidate, not from belonging to one or another gender. Among the advertisements of local labor exchanges, you will not see conditions such as "Required: specialist/manager, male, 25-35 years old" – publicly posting such an advertisement would be a direct violation of the law.
Anti-discrimination legislation obliges to create equal conditions for men and women in the workplace. Discrimination based on gender is prohibited, and cases of its manifestation must be investigated in the most serious manner. The law requires the employer to monitor cases of such harassment and take appropriate measures.
In addition, the employer has no right to prevent an employee from going on parental leave, regardless of the gender of that employee. This is done so that men can freely go on parental leave without fear of persecution or threats of dismissal from the employer or misunderstanding from colleagues. At the same time, such a step will help the mother, who might prefer to work while her spouse stays at home with the baby.
A woman priest – nothing surprising
In the early 1960s, the Swedish Church opened the path to a career in the spiritual sphere for women as well, beginning to ordain them as priests. Over the past fifty years, the gender composition of church workers has changed significantly, and now the clergy consists of almost equal proportions of men and women. Today, about 45% of all priests in Sweden are women. That is why Swedes have long ceased to be surprised when they come to church and see that a particular sacred rite in the church is performed by a female pastor. In addition, the General Synod consists of 121 women and 130 men who make key decisions regarding the development and future of the Swedish Church.
The letter of the law
The Abortion Act
In 1975, women in Sweden gained the legal right to abortion during the first 18 weeks of pregnancy. When seeking qualified help from medical institutions, she is not required to specify specific reasons for the procedure. The law clarifies that she may be allowed an abortion after 18 weeks of pregnancy—up to the 22nd week—but only if she can provide compelling arguments for the operation. Then the National Board of Health and Welfare examines the circumstances and decides on the appropriateness of the abortion in each individual case.
Law against violence against women
This legal document came into force in 1998. According to it, any forms of violence and cruelty to which a woman may be subjected, for example, by a partner, must be assessed as interconnected. Each case of violence against a woman must be taken into account by the relevant authorities. Gross violation of a woman's integrity can result in a prison sentence of up to 6 years.
Prevention of prostitution
In 1999, a law came into effect in Sweden that counteracts prostitution and prohibits the purchase of sexual services. The law targets specifically the buyers of sex services, without providing for punishment for those engaged in prostitution. This is because buyers of services are considered the driving force of prostitution in this criminal chain. In 2005, this legislative act was incorporated into the main Criminal Code of the country. The Swedish approach to combating sexual crimes was later adopted by countries such as Norway, Iceland, Canada, and Northern Ireland.
Still far from ideal
However, in fairness, it should be noted that even in Sweden the situation with equality is not as rosy as it might seem at first glance. According to data published in the annual report on gender equality, in some areas of activity, primarily related to power, finance, and construction, Sweden, like many other countries, is traditionally dominated by men.
Women's average salaries across the country are still almost 15% lower than those of men with similar work experience and education. And this despite the fact that women still account for more hours of unpaid housework, although women spend no less time at work than men.
If you look at statistics on who most often holds the position of CEO in commercial enterprises, the numbers, alas, are not yet in favor of women. For every ten top managers in the largest companies in Sweden, only one post is held by a woman. Among board members in large corporations, women make up only 5%.
The Swedish government sees the solution to all these problems in active work to promote equality at all levels of government. At the same time, as both legislators and academic experts emphasize, gender equality should be viewed not as a separate, private problem, but as a process that should not stop. To get closer to the ideal of equality between men and women, it is planned to continue actively studying how resources are distributed in society, how behavioral norms are created, and how the decision-making process is formed in different areas.