5 thoughts on “No shared leave for shared leave minister”
I recall reading some research from one of the Scandinavian countries that introduced shared parental leave and were concerned at the low take up by men. But when they looked into it the reason was simple, the biggest reason was because mothers didn’t want to share their time off with their men folk.
I imagine that will be the real reason it won’t work here too.
You are quite correct. The “solution” was to introduce compulsory additional leave for fathers only. We’ll see how that pans out for the Swedes over time. The high level of female maternity leave/flexible work was sustainable because in Sweden the private sector is almost totally male, so the burden of a pretty part time workforce fell in the public sector. Now of course fathers in the private sector have to take leave. They tried “use it or lose it” but it seems men happy to “lose it” .
Eh, I don’t think it’s a bad thing if women learn to appreciate some parts of traditional gender roles. I have always believed that the mother is the more important of the two parents when a child is very young, with the father’s role increasingly important in a child’s life as they get older.
“Shared” really means either or. So come on men assert your right to have time off! When tried elsewhere women, remembering the vast majority aren’t feminists anyway, resent their “territory” being taken. Frankly I’d be all for being able to swap all the maternity leave. And when mothers howl, point at the feminists.
Justice for Men & Boys 
I recall reading some research from one of the Scandinavian countries that introduced shared parental leave and were concerned at the low take up by men. But when they looked into it the reason was simple, the biggest reason was because mothers didn’t want to share their time off with their men folk.
I imagine that will be the real reason it won’t work here too.
LikeLike
But of course it will be spun by the feminists as another instance of men shirking their parental responsibilities.
LikeLike
You are quite correct. The “solution” was to introduce compulsory additional leave for fathers only. We’ll see how that pans out for the Swedes over time. The high level of female maternity leave/flexible work was sustainable because in Sweden the private sector is almost totally male, so the burden of a pretty part time workforce fell in the public sector. Now of course fathers in the private sector have to take leave. They tried “use it or lose it” but it seems men happy to “lose it” .
LikeLike
Eh, I don’t think it’s a bad thing if women learn to appreciate some parts of traditional gender roles. I have always believed that the mother is the more important of the two parents when a child is very young, with the father’s role increasingly important in a child’s life as they get older.
LikeLike
“Shared” really means either or. So come on men assert your right to have time off! When tried elsewhere women, remembering the vast majority aren’t feminists anyway, resent their “territory” being taken. Frankly I’d be all for being able to swap all the maternity leave. And when mothers howl, point at the feminists.
LikeLike