Question

Read an article about parenthood in Finland. For questions 15 to 20, choose the best answer for each of these questions according to the text.
15.
16.
(Total: 3 points, 0.5 point each correct answer)
FINLAND: THE ONLY COUNTRY WHERE FATHERS SPEND MORE TIME WITH KIDS THAN MOTHERS
Nordic countries have gained a reputation for being near-mythical paradises of gender equality and family harmony where legions of happy fathers and relaxed mothers enjoy lengthy paid maternity leaves while their well-fed children have access to high-quality, free healthcare. Even inside this scenario, one statistic about Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people, makes it look even more amazing. According to a recent report, Finland is the only country in the developed world where fathers spend more time with school-aged children than mothers.
How did Finland get there? And what can the rest of us learn from this small Nordic nation that might accelerate the battle for gender equity in other places? “This is a question of gender equality, but it’s more a question of the rights of the child,” says Annika Saarikko, Finland’s minister of family affairs and social services, one of six female ministers out of a cabinet of eleven. “This is not about the mother’s right or the father’s right – but the child’s right to spend time with both parents.”
Finland believes fathers play a crucial role in child development. The government offers fathers nine weeks of paternity leave, during which they are paid 70% of their salary. “We want fathers to take more of the shared parental leave available,” says Saarikko. “We are quite sure if we look at the research that the connection between the baby and the father is really important – the early years are vital and we believe in investing in that.”
On top of all that, couples can share an additional five-plus months of paid parental leave between them. For Sami Sulin, who works in the back office of a bank, the benefit offered a welcome opportunity to spend time with his daughter. He stayed at home for a full 10 months from the time she was 10 months old, and he says an increasing number of his friends are doing the same. “No one was negative about it,” reports the 35-year-old. “I think it is just more socially acceptable now. There is a recognition that fathers need to participate in family life.”
While she advocates for fathers, Saarikko is also a fitting example of how mothers in Finland are to a degree liberated from the constraints of motherhood by the country’s supportive policies. She is 33 and has a three-year-old child in full-time public daycare. Her husband also works full-time. “You can be a young woman and a minister here,” she says. “My situation is not abnormal. In Finland it is normal to combine work and family – it’s not easy, but it’s not impossible.”

Answer 1

Resposta:

15

They are great places to live

16

c it is best for the child

17

c he was pleased about it

18

a the fact that he took an extended paternity leave

19

b the government provides free daycare for all who need it

20

a restrictions

Explicação: