Finland gives men, women seven-month paid parental leave

HELSINKI: What decisions would be made if a country were led by women? People can look to Finland, where women lead the five parties in the coalition government.

The government led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who at 34 is the youngest female prime minister in the world, just announced a plan to provide equal paid parental leave for men and women. The new policy gives nearly seven months of paid leave to each parent, for a total of almost 14 months of paid leave.

“The reform will be a major change in attitudes, as it will improve equality between parents and make the lives of diverse families easier. The reform will support all kinds of families and ensure equal leaves for children regardless of the form of the family,“ Minister of Social Affairs and Health Aino-Kaisa Pekonen said in a statement.