Here, the statue in Nyköping has been decorated for Men’s Day

By the Nyköpingsån stands a statue of the canoeist Gert Fredriksson, made by Thomas Qvarsebo. During Tuesday, the statue was dressed in a carrying shawl and a doll. The aim is to draw attention to unequal parenting.

– It is made by ordinary fathers and men who think that the expectations of men should change, says Vilgot Österlund.

Wabs less than women

Men in Sweden take only 30.9 percent of the parental allowance days and 38 percent of the maternity leave days according to Arena idé. A Novus survey carried out on behalf of Arena idé and Make Equal also shows that Swedish workers and civil servants feel that women are expected to take more parental leave.

Vilgot Österlund does not believe that men lack the will to spend time with their children, nor that the economy is absolutely decisive.

– Even in cases where the woman earns more than the man, the woman takes a significantly larger part of the parental leave, he says.

See how the statue has been decorated in the clip above.

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