REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, HELSINKI -- Finland observed Mothers' Day on Sunday against the backdrop of a heated debate about the current social welfare system, which encourages mothers to remain at home rather than go back to work.

The monthly compensation for domestic care to a family with two children in the Helsinki area is around 600 euros. If the wife takes a job at a modest salary, the actual earnings may be reduced to 200 or 300 euros, as the public day care payments and income tax eat up the rest.

Bitter mothers of young children have described the benefit system as "a trap". They want to go back to work but quite often they work at the cost of a financial loss or with very little gain.

Remaining at home for a few more years may be economically advantageous, but may hit back later on the woman's life. Pensions and other benefit accrual will be affected as they are delivered based on salaries.