ABSTRACT
Alongside the issue of equal pay for equal or equivalent work and that of equal opportunities in the labour market, the taking of parental leave is probably one of the most frequently-discussed issues in the Swedish debate on gender equality. These issues are often linked together and attention is drawn to the fact that women are paid lower wages and have fewer opportunities for career advancement since they have the main responsibility for children and the home, that is, a responsibility often developed, or indeed increased, as a result of routines established during the period of parental leave.
