Book excerpt: This report examines the laws that govern parental leave in five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) from a historical perspective, as well as from the experiences of individuals and the findings of a literature review, in order to identify best practices and remaining challenges to help secure a more gender-equal society. Topics discussed include: women's labour market participation, job security and maternity leave; fathers as parents; flexibility and shortcomings in parental leave laws; the use of parental leave and factors that influence its use by men.