Father, take some daddy time!
‘It’s Daddy Time’, the new campaign of the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, encourages fathers to take full use of their family leave rights. The campaign is intended to increase the take up of family leaves by men and emphasises the importance of the time a father and a child spend together. The aim is also to enhance father friendliness in male dominated industries and sectors.
The campaign ‘It’s Daddy Time’ will be seen and heard on various social media channels and the radio, among others, from 6 November to 27 November. The campaign’s website, www.isäaikaa.fi provides information about family leaves for fathers as well as employers, along with eight fathers’ personal stories about the joys of family leaves. The website is also available in English.
In 2016, fathers only used about ten per cent of all reimbursed family leave days. Almost one in five does not take any family leave at all.
“Family leaves are a unique part of everyday work life. Fathers are entitled to them. They offer fathers the opportunity to focus on the new family member and also in turn to take and receive responsibility for the child’s care,” says Minister Annika Saarikko, the minister responsible for gender equality issues.
The family leave scheme was revised last in 2013. The ‘It’s Daddy Time’ campaign is launched at a time when reform of the scheme is topical again. The most recent reform made family leaves available also to separated fathers.
The Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Commission finances part of the ‘It’s Daddy Time’ campaign.
We encourage fathers to share their experiences of family leaves on social media at #Isäaikaa
Inquiries:
Mari-Elina McAteer, Project Manager, tel. +358 2951 63424
Riikka Pirkkalainen, Special Adviser to Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Annika Saarikko, tel. +358 2951 63110
