Reserved days

The plan identifies an individualized parental insurance as a strategically important reform for equality in both family life and working life, and it wants rights to be linked to individuals rather than to families. Earmarking at least one-third of days for each parent is a step in exactly that direction. The requirement is therefore supported, even though the plan wants to go further toward full individualization.

• individualized parental insurancedecisive»individualiserad föräldraförsäkring och en stärkt lagfäst rätt till heltid,« (party programme ↗)“individualized parental insurance and a strengthened legally-established right to full-time,”
• rights to the individual»rättigheter kopplade till individer istället för familjer eller arbetsplatser« (party programme ↗)“rights linked to individuals instead of families or workplaces”
• more equal distribution of housework»En arbetstidsförkortning skulle vara ett viktigt steg för ökad jämställdhet eftersom det också skulle möjliggöra för en mer jämställd fördelning av det obetalda hemarbetet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A shortened working week would be an important step toward increased equality because it would also enable a more equal distribution of unpaid housework.”
• women's self-sufficiency»större samhällsansvar för barnomsorg har varit viktig för kvinnors« (party programme ↗)“greater social responsibility for childcare has been important for women's”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme demands parental insurance that gives parents equal opportunities for responsible parenthood and that women and men shall be able to take equal responsibility for home and children, with feminism as the foundational view. The election manifesto emphasizes parental insurance as a gender equality reform for women's independence. Earmarking more days so that at least one-third is used by each parent is an application of this, even though the number of days is not specified.

• equal parental insurancedecisive»med familj, en väl utbyggd barnomsorg och en föräldraförsäkring som ger föräldrarna lika« (party programme ↗)“with family, well-developed childcare and parental insurance that gives parents equal”
• equal right to support»Män och kvinnor måste få lika rätt till egen försörjning och ett utvecklande yrkesliv.« (party programme ↗)“Women and men must have equal rights to their own support and a developing career.”
• feminist foundational view»Med denna grundsyn är socialdemokratin ett feministiskt parti.« (party programme ↗)“With this foundational view, social democracy is a feminist party.”
• parental insurance as a gender equality reform»I Sverige har viktiga jämställdhetsreformer som förskola och föräldraförsäkring möjliggjort kvinnors självständighet och frihet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In Sweden, important gender equality reforms such as preschool and parental insurance have enabled women's independence and freedom.”

The plan requires that each parent takes out at least a third of the parental days and describes a three-part parental insurance where a third is earmarked for each custodian and the remainder is freely distributed. The plan also wants the freely distributable portion to be transferable to a third party in the child's family, exactly as the counter-proposal states. The reason is that increased use by men strengthens women's position in the labour market.

• at least a third per parentdecisive»dubblera pappornas uttag av föräldraledighet — varje förälder ska ta ut minst en tredjedel av föräldradagarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“double fathers' take-up of parental leave — each parent shall take out at least a third of the parental days.”
• three-part parental insurance»där en tredjedel av dagarna öronmärks för« (party programme ↗)“where a third of the days is earmarked for”
• transferable free third»ska även vara möjlig att överlåta till en tredje« (party programme ↗)“shall also be possible to transfer to a third”
• men's take-up strengthens women»När mäns uttag av föräldraledigheten ökar stärks dessutom kvinnors position på« (party programme ↗)“When men's take-up of parental leave increases, women's position in the labour market is furthermore strengthened”

The plan's tool for a more equal parental insurance is a significantly strengthened equality bonus, that is economic incentives rather than more earmarked days, and the party programme establishes that the insurance shall be designed in the family's and children's best interest. Earmarking at least a third of the days to each parent is therefore not the way the plan chooses. The goal of increased equality is shared, but not the demand.

• equality bonus as tooldecisive»Vi vill modernisera föräldraförsäkringen så att fler kvinnor kan komma i arbete och göra karriär, bland annat genom att införa en kraftigt förstärkt jämställdhetsbonus.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to modernize parental insurance so more women can enter the workforce and pursue careers, not least through the introduction of a significantly strengthened equality bonus.”
• family choice»Föräldraförsäkringen ska utformas efter familjens och barnens bästa.« (party programme ↗)“Parental insurance shall be designed in the family's and children's best interest.”
• equal but simple insurance»Därför vill vi reformera föräldraförsäkringen för en mer jämställd, enkel och tydlig föräldraförsäkring anpassad till vårt moderna samhälle och arbetsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That is why we want to reform parental insurance for a more equal, simple and clear parental insurance adapted to our modern society and working life.”

The plan specifies an exact level for earmarking: three months shall be earmarked to each custodian, and the right to transfer days to a third party shall increase. The counter-proposal requires that at least one-third of the days are reserved for each parent, thus significantly more earmarking than the plan's three months. The plan furthermore emphasizes that a new parental insurance shall protect freedom of choice, which is why the demand has no support in the plan.

• three months earmarkeddecisive»ska vara öronmärkta åt varje vårdnadshavare« (party programme ↗)“shall be earmarked to each custodian”
• freedom of choice in parental insurance»Vi vill se ny föräldraförsäkring som både värnar valfriheten och stärker jämställdheten på arbetsmarknaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see a new parental insurance that both protects freedom of choice and strengthens equality in the labour market.”
• parents' own choice of model»en kortare föräldraförsäkring med högre ersättning och en något längre med lägre ersättning« (party programme ↗)“a shorter parental insurance with higher replacement and a somewhat longer with lower replacement”
• equality without mandatory quotas»Feminism utan socialism. Jämställdheten måste fortsätta gå framåt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Feminism without socialism. Equality must continue to move forward.”

The plan's key commitment is that society's support to families with children shall be organised so that it can be used flexibly, since needs and wishes vary between families. Earmarking more parental leave days does the opposite and moves the decision from the family to the state, which goes against the requirement that the family shall not be deprived of its natural tasks and that people themselves shall determine their lives. More equal use shall according to the plan be promoted with opinion-shaping work, not with quotas.

• flexible family supportdecisive»samhällets stöd till barnfamiljer vara organiserat så att det kan användas på ett flexibelt sätt« (party programme ↗)“society's support to families with children be organised so that it can be used in a flexible manner”
• the family's own tasks»Familjen ska inte berövas sina naturliga uppgifter« (party programme ↗)“The family shall not be deprived of its natural tasks”
• opinion-shaping instead of coercion»med opinionsbildande arbete stimulera föräldrar att« (party programme ↗)“with opinion-shaping work encourage parents to”
• the family's self-determination»Människor ska bestämma över sina egna liv; familjer« (party programme ↗)“People shall determine their own lives; families”

The election manifesto's only commitment on parental insurance runs in the opposite direction from earmarking: flexibility should increase and more days become double days. The party programme states that the path to equality is strengthened self-determination and empowerment and that the right to choose one's path belongs to all. The plan's equality tools are instead work and own income, for example by abolishing the multi-child supplement. More reserved days are therefore rejected.

• flexible parental insurancedecisive»Öka flexibiliteten i föräldraförsäkringen och göra fler dagar till dubbeldagar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase flexibility in parental insurance and make more days into double days”
• equality through empowerment»Vägen till ökad jämställdhet handlar om att stärka självbestämmandet och möjligheterna till egenmakt.« (party programme ↗)“The path to increased equality is about strengthening self-determination and opportunities for empowerment.”
• family's own choice»Rätten att välja väg tillhör alla.« (party programme ↗)“The right to choose one's path belongs to everyone.”
• equality via work»Avskaffa flerbarnstillägget från och med barn fyra så att inte kvinnor i stora familjer fastnar i hemmet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish the multi-child supplement from the fourth child so that women in large families don't get stuck at home”

The platform explicitly states that parental leave should be flexible and family-friendly and that reserved months should be removed. The counter-proposal's requirement to earmark at least one third of the days for each parent is the exact opposite. The plan furthermore wants away from coercive family policy reforms and means that policy's task is to support families without encroaching on their freedom of action. The plan concerns the committee's reasoning, since it expresses itself precisely on the flexibility in parental leave.

• no reserved daysdecisive»Föräldraförsäkringen ska vara flexibel och familjevänlig och reserverade månader ska bort.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Parental leave shall be flexible and family-friendly and reserved months shall be removed.”
• away from coercive reforms»Den ekonomiska familjepolitiken behöver ändra kurs från tvingande reformer som begränsar handlingsutrymme och välmående, till en mer familjefrämjande attityd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Economic family policy needs to change course from coercive reforms that limit scope for action and wellbeing, to a more family-promoting attitude”
• flexible parental leave»Skapa en flexibel och familjevänlig föräldraförsäkring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create flexible and family-friendly parental leave”
• family's freedom of action»Politikens uppgift är att stötta familjerna utan att inkräkta på deras« (party programme ↗)“Policy's task is to support families without encroaching on their”