Equality and non-discrimination - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
The video below discusses what equality and non-discrimination mean in society and people’s lives and how these are promoted in Finland:
Video: KotonaSuomessa Human rights, equal rights and non-discrimination (youtube.com) (Finnish, Swedish, English, Chinese, Tigrinya, French, Sorani, Estonian, Thai, Dari, Kurmanji, Somali, Russian, Arabic)
Non-discrimination and equality are secured through legislation
The basis for Finnish society is the equality of citizens and genders. Every member of society is responsible for these values being actualised in society. Legislation also secures these values.
In Finnish legislation, equality means equality between genders. It also encompasses the diversity of genders. The Equality Act is meant to ensure that no one is placed in a different position due to their gender, gender identity or gender expression.
Non-discrimination means that all people are equal and they have the same rights regardless of any of their properties. Non-discrimination in Finnish legislation means that everyone is equal regardless of nationality, disability, sexual orientation or other personal reasons. The Non-Discrimination Act strives to prevent discrimination.
The Equality Act secures equality between genders
The Equality Act came into force in Finland in 1987. According to the Equality Act, genders are equal and no one can be discriminated against based on gender, gender identity or gender expression. All authorities, employers, and organisers of education and early childhood education have the obligation to promote equality. The actualisation of the Equality Act is overseen by the Ombudsman for Equality in Finland.
More information about the Ombudsman for Equality: Tasa-arvo.fi (Finnish, Swedish, English, North Sámi, in part also: easy Finnish, Estonian, Somali, Arabic, Russian)
In addition to promoting equality and preventing discrimination, the Equality Act improves the status of women especially in working life. Legally, an employer cannot, for example, use pregnancy as a reason to not hire someone or to lay them off. When an employer hires new employees, the choice must be done based on the employee’s merits. An employee cannot be chosen because of their gender. It is also forbidden to pay men a higher salary because they are men. According to the law, the same work must receive equal pay, regardless of gender.
In the Equality Act, discrimination means that someone is treated more poorly than others due to a reason relating to gender. Discrimination can occur:
- due to gender
- Dure to gender identity or gender expression
- Due to pregnancy or giving birth
- Due to parenthood, because they have children, or are pregnant
- Due to obligations to take care of family, for example, taking parental leave
- Due to other reasons relating to gender.
Sexual harassment and harassment based on gender is also discrimination which is forbidden in the Equality Act.
Gender identity means how a person experiences their own gender. It is not necessarily the same as the gender assigned to them at birth. Gender expression means showing one’s gender, for example, through behaviour or clothing.
More information on gender identity and gender diversity: Equality and gender norms in families and society
The Non-Discrimination Act forbids discrimination based on origin or disability
The new Non-Discrimination Act came into force in 2015. The objective of the law is to promote equality and prevent discrimination. The act also makes it easier to intervene with discrimination when it occurs.
According to the Non-Discrimination Act, all people in Finland must have the same opportunities for education, work and services. According to the act, the authorities must promote non-discrimination in all their activities.
The act forbids discrimination based on age, origin, nationality, language, religion, beliefs, opinion, political activity, union activity, family ties, state of health, disability, sexual orientation or other personal reasons. No one can be placed in a worse position than others because of these reasons. The actualisation of the Non-Discrimination Act is overseen by the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman.
More information about the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman: Yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu.fi (Finnish, Swedish, English, North Sámi, in part also: Somali, German, Estonian, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Albanian, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Kurdish, Romanian, Polish, Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian, Ukrainian, Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi, Chinese, Thai, Nepali, Bengali, Urdu)
Non-discrimination does not always actualise in practice
Discrimination can be a crime
Discrimination means that a certain person or group is treated more poorly than others. Discrimination can also occur if a seemingly equal rule or practice actually leads to a person or group ending up in a poorer position than others, and there is no acceptable justification for the rule or practice. Discrimination can in some cases be a crime.
Different treatment is not always discrimination if it is based on the law or if there is an acceptable reason for it. This means affirmative action which means that a person or group receives special support. Affirmative action can be, for example, integration training for immigrants or employment assistance for youths. The purpose of this is to even out differences in people’s opportunities. The objective is that all people have the same opportunities for education, work and civic participation.
If you experience, suspect or witness discrimination, you can contact the Ombudsman for Equality or the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, depending on the basis for discrimination.
More information about discrimination at work in Laws and regulations at work
More information about non-discrimination in seeking for employment in How to find work in Finland
If you think there has been a mistake or neglect in the activities of family and social services, healthcare, school or some other authority, you can contact the Regional State Administrative Agency (aluehallintovirasto).
More information about the Regional State Administrative Agency: Enforcements and reporting violations (avi.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English)
Hate crimes are crimes motivated by hate toward a group of people
In a hate crime, a person, group, property, institution or a representative of these is a victim of a crime because of a trait connected to them. This can be ethnic origin, gender identity or disability. The motive of a hate crime is often prejudice or hate toward a certain group of people.
Any crime can be a hate crime. What is crucial is why the crime was committed. A hate crime can thus be assault, defamation or damage. For example, if someone breaks the windows of someone’s car because the owner of the car is a member of a different religion than the perpetrator, this is a hate crime. The property at the root of the hate crime does not have to be real, it is enough that the perpetrator assumes this of the victim. If the crime is a hate crime, this can result in a more severe punishment for the crime than would otherwise be sentenced.
Racism manifests on many different levels in Finnish society
Racism is a thought pattern where a group of people is defined as less worthy, for example, based on origin, skin colour, nationality, native language or religion. Racist attitudes can manifest as conscious deeds and words, but they can also be subconscious thought patterns which direct behaviour. Racism is defined in different ways in different contexts.
Systemic racism
Systemic racism is racism arising from the practices, structures and rules of society and different institutions. It can appear in working life, education and services. Systemic racism can manifest as discriminatory actions, but also as practices and processes which discriminate against certain groups of people either directly or indirectly. Systemic racism can also appear in jokes or advertisements. Systemic racism is often difficult to recognise and it can be subconscious. These are not individual actions, but rather a broader phenomenon regarding all of society.
Racism in interactions and microaggressions
Racism in interactions can manifest as shouting, name-calling, gestures, exclusion, using racist terms or expressions, or as microaggressions. Microaggressions can be questions or comments about appearance or behaviour which may come from good intentions or ignorance, but which still enforce and uphold racist or other discriminatory stereotypes. They maintain the idea that this person deviates from the norm, meaning what a person in a certain status or speaking a certain language is expected to be like.
Internalised racism and minority stress
Repeated racism in interactions and microaggressions can cause minority stress. This is caused by experiences of discrimination and racism or the fear of these being repeated in different situations. Minority stress is a burden on a person’s wellbeing. It can also lead to internalised racism, meaning that the person who experiences racism can start to believe they are in some way less than others. It can be detrimental to a person’s self-esteem and notions of one’s own capabilities. Internalised racism is often the result of one’s surroundings not interfering with racist situations and instead seeming to silently accept racism.
More information and instructions in case you are the victim of a racist crime: Racist crimes (riku.fi) (Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Estonian, Russian, Somali)
Racism is always wrong, even if it does not fill the criteria for discrimination or a crime. Discriminatory behaviour or practices can be discussed at work with a supervisor, in an educational institution with a teacher, or in authority services with the authorities. Organisations offer support services and peer support for those who have experienced racism.