I’ve always been amazed when hearing stories about Sweden and the health care system that requires all dads to take time off (just like mom) after having a baby. According to the official site of Sweden, parents are entitled to “480 days of paid parental leave, in which 90 days are reserved for fathers.”
In the book, Swedish Dads, photographer Johan Bävman personally captures the special moments shared between Swedish fathers and their kids. This precious time helps fathers understand family life and take on a more active role with their children. Each Bävman photograph has a caption stating the name of each dad, their age, occupation and how long they are on paternity leave.
There is no denying that both mothers and fathers are very important, but if the fathers were to be replaced by the mothers in these photographs would the images be considered as just being mediocre ? I certainly hope not!
Main image: Urban Nordh, 32. Civil Engineer. On leave for 10 months with his son Holger.
This post is also available in: French
