Equal Rights to Care from Both Parents: Lone Parents and Paid Parental Leave in Iceland

Iceland is an example of a Nordic country that has provided non-transferable parental leave for both parents for a quarter of a century. The aim of the Icelandic act on paid parental leave was to provide children with care from both parents and to increase parents’ possibilities to reconcile work and care. One of the characteristics of the Icelandic Act is that both parents are entitled to the non-transferable quota rights, regardless of if they share residency with their children and if they hold custody or not. The aim of the law is thus in line with the Act in Respect of Children, that emphasis that children have the right to care from both parents.

The take up rates for Icelandic fathers have been relatively high. Above 80% of fathers take leave and on average their leave length corresponds with their quota rights. But the take up rates have been lower for fathers that do not share residency with their children compared to take up rates for fathers in two parent families. To gain better understanding of the take up of lone fathers compared to fathers that share residency with the mother and the child this paper will ask how fathers arrange their leave and the care of their child during the first three years in the child’s life? Data from a population survey among all parents of first-born children in 2019 and 2021, will be analysed to gain information about the take up of fathers and their participation in the care of the child.