FRIHET ELLER JÄMSTÄLLDHET?

Abstract

This study in Public Administration uses feminism and historical institutionalism to analyze a highly debated contemporary policy problem that concerns gender equality in the policy of parental leave. The parental insurance was introduced in 1974 with the governmental goal of gender equality. In 1974 only 0,5 percent of the number of days of parental benefit was paid to men. Today, 40 years later, the goal remains the same and the numbers of days of parental benefit paid to men are 24,8 percent. The debate that has characterized the Swedish policy of parental insurance and specifically the design of the parental benefit is the debate of freedom of choice versus quota. Our study focuses on ideas and arguments that influence the policy of parental benefit. The study assumes, with basis in the theories of feminism and historical institutionalism, that a policy like parental benefit is slow-moving and that path dependency has lead to a slow development of gender equality.