Finland to give dads same parental leave as mums

Share this withEmailFacebookMessengerMessengerTwitterPinterestWhatsAppLinkedInCopy this linkThese are external links and will open in a new windowFinland's new government has announced plans to give all parents the same parental leave, in a push to get fathers to spend more time with their children.Paid allowance will increase to a combined 14 months, which works out as 164 days per parent.Neighbouring Sweden has Europe's most generous system of parental leave with 240 days each after a baby's birth.Finland says it wants to "promote wellbeing and gender equality".Health and social affairs minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen told reporters that "a radical reform of family benefits" had begun, with the aim of strengthening the relationship of parents from the start.Under the current system in Finland, maternity leave is 4.2 months, while fathers are given 2.2 months until the child turns two.