The uneven distribution of women’s and men’s paid and unpaid work is one explanation for inequality in working life, and in society at large. Parental insurance is crucial to women’s wage levels, but as long as women take a greater responsibility for children, equality in the working life cannot be achieved.

This project researches the systems for parental insurance in the Nordic countries to see how they affect women’s work and men’s withdrawal of parental benefit. The results are compiled in a report where suggestions were given on how the systems can be improved to increase equality. The results were presented to Nordic decision makers at a launch in Stockholm and disseminated through campaign work in Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

The project wants to influence decision-makers in the Nordic countries to drive the development forward in terms of equal parenting, and to help achieve the goals of equal opportunities for care, power and influence for women and men in the Nordic countries.