Delhi Photo Festival 2015: Johan Bävman's "Swedish Dads" series

By Delhi Photo Festival

Delhi Photo Festival

Compared to other countries, Sweden has a generous paternity leave legislation. The current system allows parents to stay at home with their child during 480 days in total – while receiving an allowance from the State. Out of these 480 days, 60 must be taken by the father or they lapse.

The purpose of this allocation is to improve gender equality. 

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Johan Bävman is a freelance photographer who is based in Malmö, Sweden. Previously he has published the photobook "Albino - In the shadow from the sun." One more is coming up from the Swedish Dads project in early 2016.

Staff photographer for the daily newspaper Sydsvenskan from 2008- 12, he has won several awards, including the UNICEF Photo Award, World Press Photo, POY and Picture of the Year in Sweden.

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

In spite of the generous allowance and bonus – unique in its kind – only a fraction of Sweden’s dads use all their 60 days of parental leave. Even fewer parents choose to share the days equally between mother and father.

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

This photo project builds on portraits of dads on paternity leave who are among the few that have chosen to stay at home with their child for a long period of time.

With this project, Johan Bävman wants to find out why these dads make this choice as opposed to the majority of Swedish dads. What this has given them and how their relationship with their partners and children have changed.

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

The purpose of the project is to describe the background of Sweden’s unique parental allowance, and to inspire other fathers in Sweden as well as in other countries to consider the positive benefits of such a system.

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Swedish DadsDelhi Photo Festival

Johan Bävman is a freelance photographer who is based in Malmö, Sweden. Previously he has published the photobook "Albino - In the shadow from the sun." One more is coming up from the Swedish Dads project in early 2016.

Staff photographer for the daily newspaper Sydsvenskan from 2008- 12, he has won several awards, including the UNICEF Photo Award, World Press Photo, POY and Picture of the Year in Sweden.

Credits: Story

Exhibition by Delhi Photo Festival.
Oct 30 - Nov 8 2015, IGNCA, New Delhi.

Credits: All media
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