Division of Care and Leave Arrangements in Gay Father Families in Sweden

Abstract

IntroductionThis study analyses the division of parental leave and the income development in gay father families through surrogacy in Sweden, seen as one of the most family-friendly and egalitarian countries in the world.MethodsBased on longitudinal population register data, descriptive and bivariate regression models are estimated to analyse the parental leave uptake and income development of married partners becoming (first-time) parents in 2006–2015 (in total 53 couples). Retrospective in-depth interviews with 23 gay men in 12 couples, conducted in 2010 and 2018 are analysed thematically to study how fathers discussed and decided how to divide the leave.ResultsThe process of establishing legal parenthood delays the fathers’ access to reimbursed parental leave. Despite this, the fathers’ earnings were not considerably affected by the addition of a child to the family. Once the fathers had access to reimbursed leave, they generally shared this equally, with a tendency for the genetic father to take leave first and for a slightly longer period.ConclusionsThe fathers becoming parents via surrogacy arrangements are a well-off group, able to counter the negative financial consequences of becoming parents. Swedish family policies enable parents to share the leave equally. Less impacted by gender and parenthood norms creating difference between parents, gay father families are in a better position to realise ideals of shared care and sameness.Policy ImplicationsThe delayed access to reimbursed parental leave structures the ability of gay couples to become parents and contributes to class inequalities in the transition to parenthood.