Swedes show way on paternity leave

Swedes show way on paternity leave

Twelve Swedish firms in Thailand have pledged to give their male employees 30 days' paid paternity leave to promote gender equality in the working place and promote tighter family bonds.

Jon Astrom Grondahl, Sweden's ambassador to Thailand, said it was an appropriate gesture.

"I believe that balancing family and career life is something that most of us can relate to. That is why I am happy that from now on, more fathers in Thailand will have this opportunity to experience time with their children through this initiative," he said.

"I hope this idea can inspire other organisations to consider granting any kind of parental support, not only paternity leave, to attain gender equality in the workplace."

According to the Swedish embassy, the Scandinavian country was the first in the world to offer paid parental leave for both father and mother in 1974. Today, Swedish parents are offered up to 480 days of paid parental leave and couples are encouraged to share and manage this time off. Sweden has one of the highest female employment rates in the world at 80.3%, compared to the global average of 49%.

James Teague, president of AstraZeneca (Thailand), said the company is joining the initiative. "We hope this gives all family members the best start to parenting," he said.

Mr Grondahl presided over the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition titled "Parenting -- an Equal Opportunity" by the award-winning Swedish photographer and filmmaker Elin Berge to help promote the campaign.

The photos portray Swedish parents who had moved beyond traditional roles in parenting to more of a partnership based on collaboration and needs. The exhibition runs until Sunday at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

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