In Scandinavia, they have made a clear choice. In Denmark, and in Sweden and Norway, they have made their families their top priority, and believe it or not, their careers haven't suffered. Today is birthday number one for Clara and her twin brother Juaquin of Stockholm, Sweden. And that's the Scandinavian way, with family-oriented benefits, like maternal leave, guaranteed by both the government and by private industry. Now while that kind of tax might make most Americans cringe, most people here say with the benefits to the family, the taxes are worth it.
Shops even close early so workers can go home for dinner.
The Scandinavian safety net also extends to parents who lose their jobs. Designer Mireille Bernard of Copenhagen, Denmark was laid off while she was pregnant. Now six months later, she's still drawing 60 percent of her salary, and will until she finds work, even though her partner, Anders, still has a job. Largely responsible for this, former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, and she is the first woman to hold that post. She's been very instrumental in pioneering some of these sweeping changes that have really greatly improved the quality of life for women and for children in Norway.