Modern Daddy: Norway's progressive policy on paternity leave

By ILO

Gender Equality and Decent Work: Good Practices at the Workplace, a new ILO study, shows that Norway grants the longest paid paternity leave after the birth of a child, in addition to the mother's 11 months

Norway introduced the four-week paid paternity leave quota with the purpose of encouraging more fathers to take an active role in the care of children during their first year. The four weeks cannot be transferred and is therefore lost if the father does not use the time. Norway is now proposing to extend this to five weeks. The Norwegian Gender Equality Ombud's office reported that the take up of the leave went from 2.4% in 1992 (before the Dad's only quota was introduced) to over 70% in 1997.

ILO World of Work, no 54, August 2005; pp12-15