Icelandic fathers are taking limited advantage of their entitlement to split three months of maternity/paternity leave reports the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV. The Ombudsman for Equal Rights says if this continues to be the trend the leave will not be extended.
The State Social Security Institute (SSSI) offers Icelandic parents nine months of leave on 80 per cent of their salaries – three months for the mother, three months for the father and three months for either mother or father.
According to RÚV, last year the leaves of Icelandic mothers were twice as long as those of the fathers. This means Icelandic fathers are taking limited advantage of their entitlement to split three months of maternity and paternity leave. According to SSSI figures Icelandic fathers only made use of 4 days of the alloted 90 day allocated to either parent.
The Childbirth Fund distributed approximately 6.6 billion Icelandic króna last year, up 20% from the preceding year.
