The Challenge
In Finland, only 12% of parental leave days are taken by men—largely due to financial pressures and a persistent gender pay gap. To shift this imbalance, we introduced The Parental Leave Mortgage, a first-of-its-kind product that allows new families to pause mortgage payments free of charge, accessible to all types of family structures. By removing the financial barrier to shared caregiving, Nordea empowered more families to split parental leave equally.
The Solution
We saw an opportunity to directly address the financial barriers preventing equal parental leave. The Parental Leave Mortgage is a new, tailored financial product that allows parents to pause their mortgage payments completely during parental leave—no payments, fees, or costs. This was based on real data revealing the struggle many Finnish families face due to mortgage burdens. By directly removing this financial obstacle, the product enabled families to more equally share the leave and broke down a longstanding societal barrier. The idea wasn’t just a campaign, but a response-driven product that turned Nordea’s insight into a concrete solution.