Top 5 Countries for New Fathers

Spain welcomes new dads with a hearty abrazo, or embrace, along with four weeks of paid paternity leave [source: International Labor Organization]. Spanish parents are also entitled to roughly 300 weeks of legally sanctioned parental leave after the birth of a new baby, which is shared between a couple until their child is 3 years old [source: Ray, Gornick and Schmitt]. On top of that, Spanish parents are also legally allowed to work on a part-time basis until their children turn 8 years old, although that option doesn't compensate moms or dads for their reduced hours [source: Kamerman]. For dads, the Spanish government initially sanctioned 13 days of paid paternity leave under a gender equity law passed in 2007, but extended the benefit to a healthy four weeks, effective January 2011 [source: Evisor]. Following suit, Great Britain enacted two-week paid paternity leave in 2011, despite opposition from small businesses that fear mandated paternity leave could result in a debilitating spike in absentee employees, whom they would still be obligated to pay [source: BBC].

Although a growing number of countries have begun extending paternity or parental leave, which either parent can use, many new dads don't enjoy the benefits to their full extent. Likely because of garnished paternity leave wages, only one in 10 British dads, for example, have maxed out their time off, compared to the 90 percent of British moms who elect to take their full maternity leave [sources: Peacock , Shore]. In Finland, about one in six dads opt for paternity leave, although that proportion may grow due to an incentivizing tactic called "daddy's month." The Finnish government provides for up to 18 days of paternity leave immediately following a new birth or adoption. New fathers who take off the final two weeks that initial paternity leave, rather than going back to the office early, are eligible for an extra month of leave, or the "daddy's month " [source: Kela]. Granted, new Finnish dads won't receive 100 percent of their income while they're on leave, but a stipend that varies based on their salary.

In 2001, Slovenia jumped on board with paternity leave rights with its Parental Protection and Family Benefit Act, which expanded the state-sponsored parental leave that had been in place since 1986 [source: European Working Conditions Observatory]. The Eastern European nation mandates 15 days of paid paternity leave for men, along with an additional 75 unpaid days, specifically intended to get fathers more actively involved in childcare and family support on the domestic front [source: International Labor Organization]. Moreover, parents can also split up a 260-day parental leave allotment, which is unpaid -- aside from social security provisions [source: European Working Conditions Observatory]. Income and workplace pressure pose a challenge for many men, who often opt for a little more than a week of time off. For example, only 2 percent of Slovenian fathers stayed home beyond the paid 15-day window in 2003 [source: Stropnik]. Regardless, the initiative represents a European trend toward fostering more gender equitable parenting.

Sweden is a global capital of parent-friendliness. Often hailed as one of the best places in the world for mothers, the Nordic country doesn't leave dads out of the mix, as exemplified by its 1974 decision to broaden government-protected maternity leave into a gender-blind leave policy that provides for 390 days of parental leave per couple, and allows new moms and dads to keep earning 80 percent of their salaries for the duration. In 1995, Sweden introduced paternity leave, and today, in addition to 10 paid paternity days, the government also reserves an additional two months of those 390 parental days specifically for fathers [source: International Labor Organization]. And unlike other European countries with low rates of paternity leave participation, an estimated 85 percent of Swedish dads head home to help out with baby [source: Bennhold].

The result? Career-orientated mothers suffer less employment discrimination and are taking less time off of work, allowing fathers to fill in the gap, and divorce rates have dropped in the meantime [source: Bennhold]. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving -- just like a newborn baby.

In 2011, Save the Children rated Norway as top spot on its Mother's Index, with Scandinavian neighbor Sweden following up in fourth place [source: Save the Children]. Norway's low maternal and infant mortality rates helped earned it that coveted kudos, along with its offering nearly a year of leave to new mothers, paid at a percentage of their salaries [source: Brenhouse]. Pappapermisjon, or government-protected paternity leave, also benefits dads handsomely. Fathers have the option to divvy up a total of just over a year of parental leave with their wives, paid at 80 percent of their base salary. Moreover, a whopping 10 weeks, or nearly three months, are reserved solely for their use [source: Chemin]. And since that block is nontransferable to mothers, 90 percent of Norwegian dads take advantage of their allowance [source: Chemin].

Perhaps the success of Norway's paternity policy has come from the government leading by example. In early 2011, two male cabinet members -- the justice minister and family affairs minister -- temporarily traded in their posts for diaper duty with the prime minister's public support [source: Gibbs].