Finnish women are among the world's most highly educated women and are often even better educated than men. Currently about 60 percent of the University of Helsinki student body is female. Seventy percent of women work, most of them full-time, and their professions range from minister of defense to speaker of parliament to pastor and the more traditional women's roles of teacher and nurse. One out of every three parliament members is a woman, and Finns often cite the fact that in 1906 women there became the first worldwide to win the right to vote and to become political candidates. So, young Finnish women have many positive role models and equality in education and career.
Mothers are also well-supported in the Finnish welfare state.
They, or their significant others, can take legal subsidized leave of 275 days, while receiving approximately 70 percent of their salary. One parent can decide to stay at home with a child up to age three without risk of job loss. However, a closer look at this utopia begins to reveal discrepancies. Women's earnings are just 80 percent of men's, and women comprise the largest portion of the workforce in the service industry where the lowest wages are paid. These statistics reflect the clearly gender-segregated educational system in Finland.