Einarsdóttir, Þorgerður
Homepage: Þorgerður Einarsdóttir
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Paternity Leave in Iceland
The Nordic countries are known for being very pro-active as regards the role of men in family issues. While Norway was the first country in the world to introduce a specificfather quota
in the parental leave system in 1993, Iceland has the longest non-transferable parental leave for men. A reform from year 2000 guarantees men in Iceland three months paternity leave, out of total nine months of paid parental leave. In the paper, the Icelandic paternity leave was examined in the light of the leave system in three other countries, Norway, Germany and Spain. The paper draws on a transnational study undertaken in 2002–2004. The study shows that even if Iceland has introduced a very progressive leave system for men, some obstacles have to be dealt with. Whereas the Norwegian system is settled in a climate of gender sameness and sharing, the system in Iceland is embedded in a historical legacy of traditional gender relations. Thus, it remains in similar cultural settings as Germany and Spain, implying distinct gender differences and gender roles rather than equal sharing.