Social impact program
2019-2023
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Mothers in Business - MiB’s goal is to have a society where work and family go hand in hand. Parents have equal opportunities for self actualization and using their skills in working life.
To achieve these goals, we need new family policies, quality early childhood education and practices that support the reconciliation of work and family life.
Our objectives:
1. A more family-friendly, non-discriminatory and equal working life
2. Family services have high quality and are easily accessible
3. Family leaves are flexible and promote equality
Objective 1: A more family-friendly, non-discriminatory and equal working life
A family-friendly attitude, management and practices at the workplace supports the reconciliation of work and family, and increases well-being and performance of the employees. More effective means are needed to achieve an equal and diverse working life. Laws and regulations provide the basis, but attitudes need to change.
“Family friendly attitude, leadership and practices at the workplace support the reconciliation of work and family and increase the wellbeing and productivity of employees”
Our goals
Legislation
Family-friendly, diverse and equal working life must be promoted through ambitious legislation. Society must encourage employers to develop and implement these practices through legislation, including the reform of the Employment Contracts Act and the Equal Treatment Act.
Working life
Employers' awareness of family-friendly practices must be increased and workplaces should be encouraged to create models and guidelines that support work-family balance and equality. This includes recognizing fathers as equal beneficiaries of family leave.
More effective practices must be sought to end discrimination in the workplaces in relation to pregnancy, family leave, family status and gender. This should be developed in a tripartite working group involving several organizations, including MiB.
Objective 2: Family services have high quality and are easily accessible
Easily accessible, flexible and high-quality family services for children supports the well-being of families. High quality and accessible early childhood education is an investment in our children's future and a prerequisite for parents to stay in work. To promote equality between working life and families, leisure activities for schoolchildren should be extended to all primary school children, also during holiday periods.
Family-friendliness should be considered from a child-centered perspective and from the point of view of parents of all ages.
Our goals
Municipal level
“Finland needs to carry out a study to identify the conditions for “Fritidshem” operations based on the Swedish model.”
Early childhood education groups should be smaller and more permanent.
Staffing levels should be increased and more needs to be invested to ensuring competent staff.
Early childhood education must be available to families without delay and close by when they need it.
A sufficient number of high-quality morning, afternoon, evening and holiday activities for primary school students must be guaranteed (cf. Fritidshem). The availability of activities needs to be extended to better meet the needs of families.
Access to family services needs to be made more flexible.
Legislation
Early childhood education places should be located within a reasonable distance from home, and the location requirement should be defined in the Early Childhood Education Act in line with the Basic Education Act.
The pilot for school children's leisure activities must be continued and extended.
Finland needs to carry out a study to identify the conditions for Fritidshem operations based on the Swedish model. In this activity every child from pre-school to the end of the sixth grade, is guaranteed to have a place, also during school holidays.
Objective 3: Family leaves are flexible and promote equality
“Women currently use more than 90% of parental leave and home care allowance.”
In the long term, a more equal distribution of family leaves between parents will reflect attitudes towards the division of caring labour and increase equality in the working life and beyond. Currently, women use more than 90% of parental leaves and home care allowance. The family leave model must be equal and support more flexibly reconciling work and family life, also after the child's second birthday.
Legislation will support the necessary change of attitude in the society and working life, but it also needs incentives, a positive attitude and the courage to act in a new way.
Our goals
Legislation
The use of family leaves for fathers must be increased. MiB proposes a truly equal 9+9 family leave model, where subsidized family leave is shared equally between parents and benefits are equal.
The family leave system must allow a flexible use of leaves and support a better reconciliation of work and family life. Employees should also be able to use the leave on a longer-term basis, in periods, part-time and on individual days.
Collective agreements
Collective agreements must pay attention to equal treatment of women and men with regard to paid family leave.
Families
Families should be made more aware of the different possibilities of family leaves and encouraged to find their own way of combining work and childcare.
Contact us
Annica Moore, Executive Director of MiB
annica.moore@mib.fi, 050 352 5347
MiB’s Board members responsible for advocacy work:
vaikuttaminen(a)mothersinbusiness.fi
