Parental leave is generous in Denmark. The person carrying the baby receives paid leave for four weeks before a baby's birth and 14 weeks after. The other parent receives paid leave for two weeks after the birth, and afterwards both parents have the right to 9 weeks paid leave and can spilt up to 13 weeks paid leave.
Society
Income and gender equality in Denmark
Denmark has some of the world's lowest income inequality. And when it comes to gender equality, women play a prominent role in business, while men get involved in childraising.
The cultural importance of equality
Denmark is among the countries with the world's lowest income inequality, according to the OECD, which looks at income inequality as measured by the GINI coefficient across all 35 member states. It also has the lowest poverty rate among the OECD countries, where poverty is measured as the percentage of people who receive less than half the median national income.
Equality is important to the Danes. The Danish governing coalition almost always includes a Minister for Equality.
Culturally, equality is also a deeply ingrained value in Denmark. The fictional, but much-discussed, Law of Jante contains dictates such as "Don't think you're better than we are" and "Don't think you are anyone special."
Gender equality in Denmark
Denmark scores well on the World Economic Forum's gender equality index. Women in Denmark generally work outside the home and pursue careers while raising a family, assisted by the country's generous parental leave and tax-subsidised daycare.
Women are well-represented in Denmark's government. About 40 % of the representatives in Denmark's parliament, the Folketing, are female, and so are many of the country's ministers. Denmark's first female prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, took office in 2011.
Women's influence in Danish politics is nothing new. In 1924, Nina Bang became the world’s first female minister in a country with parliamentary democracy.
Since Danish women now receive more advanced university degrees than men, their advancement seems likely to continue in the years ahead.
Danish men also benefit from gender equality. They get more time with their families than in many other countries. Parental leave after the birth of a child can be split between parents, and limited workdays mean it is often the father who picks up children from daycare and prepares the evening meal.
A recent OECD survey showed that Danish men do more housework than in any other country in the world, although they still do slightly less than Danish women.
Did you know
LGBTI+ rights in Denmark
Being gay in Denmark is less of a big deal compared to many other places in the world. The country legalised same-sex marriage in 2012, and same-sex partners are treated the same as opposite-sex partners before the law. Several government ministers in same-sex relationships have brought their partners to public galas and introduced them to the Danish Monarch.
Although it lacks a distinct "gay neighbourhood," Copenhagen is generally considered one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. Its annual Pride Parade is held each year in August.
Starting in 2024, children born through surrogacy agreements, both domestically and internationally, will have greater stability. Mothers of surrogate children will gain the immediate right to custody, a change from the past when only the father automatically became a parent, and the mother had to apply for custody.
Denmark was also the site of one of the first internationally-discussed gender reassignment surgeries in 1951, when American Christine Jorgensen received several treatments from doctors in Copenhagen.
