Nordic men not only can but also want to look after their children.
That’s why they choose to take paternity leave, when the circumstances,
law and traditions permit it. But the terms under which men can take
paternity leave in the Nordic countries tend to be discouraging, not
least because of a whole range of myths prevalent in public opinion and
among politicians and bureaucrats.
This was one of the main conclusions reached when hundreds of Nordic
men – politicians, employers, employees and researchers – gathered for
a conference in the Royal Library in Copenhagen.
“For example, people say that the only reason why Swedish and
Norwegian men take paternity leave is so that they can have time off to
go deer hunting,” explains Eivind Olsvik from the Oslo-based Nordic
Institute for Women and Gender Research (NIKK) which organised the
conference entitled ‘Men can – work and equal opportunities’.
“The reality is that men have the same reasons for taking paternity
leave as women – that they would like to look after their children. All
research conducted so far in the Nordic countries points to this fact.
But there is clearly a need for more research and documentation to
dispel these myths,” continues Eivind Olsvik.
The fact that men’s freedom of choice is inhibited by precisely
these myths and prejudices regarding the way families with children
traditionally organise their roles is apparent in the way a man
negotiates with his employer and on the home front.
“When the issue is discussed at home, the tendency is that the woman
opts to go on leave. The only way to bring about a real change is to
introduce a mild form of compulsion into the legislation,” considers
Eivind Olsvik.
The leading country in this respect is Iceland, whose Fisheries
Minister, Arni M. Mathiesen, gave a rousing speech at the conference.
Iceland’s legislation enables the parents’ entitlement of nine months’
leave to be organised such that both the woman and the man take three
months each and then share the remaining three months.
“More than 90% of Icelandic fathers take advantage of this
opportunity. They say they see it as a fantastic opportunity to be with
their children,” explains Eivind Olsvik.
The conference agreed that there was a need for more research to
reinforce the argument for better opportunities for Nordic men.
“There needs to be a change in attitude at work and at home, as both
these institutions are extremely structured. Especially in the Nordic
countries, where we usually pride ourselves on how far we’ve come on
the equal opportunities front,” concludes Eivind Olsvik.
