Introduction to Gender training in Finland

1. Introduction to Gendertraining in Finland Regional Council of Ostrobothnia Prague 21-22 March 2012

2. Promotingequality in Finland (1) • Finnish society is based on legislation which forbids and wants to repel all kinds of oppression based on gender, national origin, nationality, language, religion, health, disability, sexual orientation, age etc. • Act on Equality between Women and Men (Equality Act, since 1986) • The Ombudsman for Equality is responsible for monitoring the observance of the Act on Equality between Women and Men. The Ombudsman for Equality works as an independent authority within the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. • Promoting equality in the workplace: • Each employer shall promote gender equality within working life purposefully and systematically. • If an employer regularly employs personnel of at least 30 people, said employer shall draw up an annual gender equality plan. • An equality plan shall include an account of the equality situation in the workplace, including details of the employment of women and men in different jobs. In addition, a pay survey is an obligatory part of the equality plan.

3. Promotingequality in Finland (2) • Promoting equality in the workplace: • Each employer shall promote gender equality within working life purposefully and systematically. • If an employer regularly employs personnel of at least 30 people, said employer shall draw up an annual gender equality plan. • An equality plan shall include an account of the equality situation in the workplace, including details of the employment of women and men in different jobs. In addition, a pay survey is an obligatory part of the equality plan.

4. Promotingequality in Finland (3) • Promoting equality in training and education: • Bodies arranging training and education shall provide equal opportunities for education and occupational advancement for women and men. • The Equality Act puts educational institutions under an obligation to draw up an annual gender equality plan with the aim of developing the operation of the educational institution, as a collaborative effort involving staff and student representatives. • Duty of public authorities to promote gender equality: • All public authorities are obliged to promote gender equality as part of their official duties. • The promotion of gender equality by different authorities must be purposeful and systematic. The aim of promoting gender equality shall be taken into account in, for example, the preparation, implementation, monitoring and assessment of different matters by the authorities, as well as in performance guidance work and budgeting. Promotion of gender equality shall cover the availability and provision of services  gender equality mainstreaming

5. Promotingequality in Finland (4) • Quotas and the equitable principle: • One of the key aims of the Equality Act is to ensure that women and men can participate in planning and decision-making processes in different sectors of society on an equitable basis. • The 40 per cent quota provision shall be applied to • Government committees, advisory boards and working groups, among others • municipal bodies and bodies established for the purposes of intermunicipal cooperation, excluding municipal councils. • The equitability provision shall apply to • executive and administrative bodies of agencies and institutions • companies in which the Government or a municipality is the majority shareholder • bodies of indirect public administration exercising public authority. Bodies exercising public authority are, for example, pension institutions, chambers of commerce and private educational institutions.

6. Gendertraining in Finland • Academic studies in 8 universities • Training in the 3rd sector • Major national development programmes • Gender Mainstreaming Development Programme Valtava • Project TASE

7. Academicstudies (1) • Master and PhD studies in in Women’s or Gender Studies in 6 universities (Helsinki, Lappi, Tampere, Turku, Åbo Akademi, Eastern Finland) • Minor subject in 2 universities (Oulu, Jyväskylä) • By nature the subject is interdisciplinary and reaches over different faculties: mainly within social sciences, humanities, economy and theology.

8. Academicstudies (2) • Women’s or Geneder studies usually aim to • analyze social and historical meanings of gender, gender as a social and cultural phenomena • deal with knowledge production related to gender • offer tools to understand different patterns and power relations related to gender, ethnicity, race, class and sexuality that exist in our culture and society • The graduates work mainly within four sectors: 1) research and education, 2) media, 3) NGOs and 4) equality, diversity and mainstreaming.

9. Academicstudies (3) • Academic co-operation: • Network for gender studies units in Finland Hilma www.hilmaverkosto.fi • Association for Women's Studies in Finland www.nt-suns.org • Centre and website for information and research on gender equality in Finland Minna www.minna.fi

10. Training in the non-govermentalorganisations • Political women’s organisations and adult education centres organise courses and lectures occasionally • Spontaneous, informal communities that form e.g. as a result of projects • Exmples of organisations promoting equality: • WoM World of Management specialises in tools for promoting equality at work www.wom.fi • UBC Commission on Gender Equality promotes gender equality in Baltic cities www.ubc.net

11. Gender Mainstreaming Development ProgrammeValtava (1) • Coordinated by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Gender Mainstreaming Programme Valtava is a national development programme, to be undertaken within the 2007–2013 programming period of the European Social Fund (ESF). • Includes 15 projects (Balanssi in Ostrobothnia) • Goals • to develop gender mainstreaming and its assessment • to dismantle gender segregation in education and work • to support and develop the expertise of gender equality actors and project funders • to increase general knowledge of the gender perspective • to support the activities of resource centres for women and female entrepreneurial potential.

12. Gender Mainstreaming Development ProgrammeValtava (2) • Target groups: project actors; regional government authorities that decide on project funding; and the personnel of third sector organisations, consultant and training organisations, companies and organisations promoting equality. • Through training and consulting, the development programme supports and develops the expertise of project actors and funders. • Results: • a guidebook on mainstreaming the gender perspective • a summary of good practices in gender equality projects for application in various environments • an assessment of the gender-related impacts of structural fund decisions • a training package on gender mainstreaming, for use by the employment and economic administration and the education administration (adult education).

13. The European charter for equality of women and men in local life • Launched by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions in May 2006. • The charter is addressed to the local and regional governments of Europe, who are invited to sign it, to make a formal public commitment to the principle of equality of women and men, and to implement, within their territory, the commitments set out within the Charter. • Principles: • Equality of women and men is a fundamental right • In order to ensure the equality of women and men, multiple discriminations based on ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion, socio economic status... must also be addressed • The balanced participation of women and men in decision making is necessary for a democratic society • Gender stereotypes and the attitudes and assumptions that arise from them must be eliminated • A gender perspective must be taken into account in all activities of local and regional government • Properly resourced action plans need to be drawn up and implemented.

14. Project TASE • Coordinated by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities • The aim is to implement The European Charter for Equality for Women and Men in Local Life in all the finnish municipalities and regional organisations • Benefits: • Improved information and better decisions • The quality and efficiency of the public services improves • The municipality/region attracts more companies and inhabitants

15. Moreinformation of genderequality in Finland • http://www.tasa-arvo.fi/en/home • http://www.yhdenvertaisuus.fi/welcome_to_equality_fi/ • http://www.stat.fi/tup/tasaarvo/index_en.html