************************************************************* The material posted here was provided to the Division for the Advancement of Women by the Government in response to a note verbale. It has being made available in electronic format from the form received. *************************************************************EQUALITY PROGRAMME
OF THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT
Approved on 6 February 1997
ForewordThe Programme in hand is the instrument of the Finnish Government's equality policy. It lays down objectives and the measures necessary to achieve them. It aims at promoting an increasingly gender-sensitive approach, for example a willingness to monitor the effect of various measures on men's and women's status. Finally, it is a channel through which the Government informs citizens of its principles and practices in matters of equality.
Promoting gender equality is also the objective of the international community, as represented by the United Nations. It is essential that governments demonstrate their commitment to implement the Beijing Platform of Action. Through the Equality Programme the Finnish Government conveys to the rest of the world its concern with the promotion of equality. At the same time the Programme is Finland's contribution to the international debate on the topic. A comparison of the equality programmes drafted in different countries will serve as an interesting survey of the international status of men and women and of governments' priorities.
I wish to draw attention in particular to one of the thirteen themes in the Equality Programme, namely the project for the prevention of violence against women. The project targets couples and families as well as children and the elderly. The project will function as a framework for developing services for the victims, training professional counsellors, carrying out public education campaigns and helping perpetrators rid themselves of their violent behaviour. The objective is to reduce violence and to lessen related suffering and financial losses.
According to the Programme, unemployment can be fought by supporting women entrepreneurs. Measures might include providing loans to small companies, counselling, training and establishing an entrepreneurs' mutual assistance network.
It has been said that this Programme focuses principally on women. However, several topics - reducing the gender segregation in education and working life, reconciling working life with family life and mainstreaming the equality principle - relate to women as well as men. One objective is to strengthen men's role as fathers and grandfathers. Ways to do this, for example by arranging fatherhood courses designed specifically for men, will be looked at in this Programme.
The Beijing Platform of Action, the Fourth Medium-Term Community Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (1996-2000) and the Equality Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers all emphasise the importance of integrating equality policy into mainstream politics so that it becomes a part of big and small decisions alike. This means that reforms in taxation, building legislation, national health or other issues would be planned with a focus on how they affect women on the one hand and men on the other. In many respects, this is a familiar principle. From now on, however, equality between women and men will be an independent discipline. Effects cannot be assessed without gender-specific statistics and researched information on the everyday life, experiences, use of time, interests and professions of women and men. It should be recognised that results are contingent on a commitment to the objectives of equality policy. Thus the programme includes a project for developing the mechanisms of equality policy.
While drafting the Programme, it became evident that its successful implementation depends on closer co-operation among the different authorities. Mainstreaming the equality principle, preventing violence against women, supporting women entrepreneurs, reinforcing men's role as fathers and promoting equality in the Information Society are designed as joint projects. The need for co-operation extends to actors in regional administration, municipalities, companies, non-governmental organisations and diverse development projects.
Implementing the Beijing Platform of Action is a long-term process combining co-operation and individual efforts. In monitoring and eventually revising the Equality Programme, the focus will be on the most efficient ways of assuring co-operation between the actors involved.
Minister for Equality: Terttu Huttu-Juntunen
EQUALITY PROGRAMME OF THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT
- FROM BEIJING TO FINLAND
MAIN PRINCIPLES OF THE EQUALITY PROGRAMME1. PROMOTING EQUALITY BY MAINSTREAMING
1.1. Basis provided by the fundamental rights in the Constitution
Act and by the Equality Act
1.2. The mainstreaming principle in administration
1.3. Training at the highest level
1.4. Developing statistics
1.5. Promoting research2. THE GLOBAL FRAMEWORK
2.1. Promoting human rights in international organisations
2.2. Promoting gender equality as Finland prepares
for presidency of the European Union
2.3. Co-operation in developing countries and adjacent countries3. EQUALITY IN THE MEDIA
4. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
4.1. Promoting equality as part of educational objectives
4.2. Reducing gender bias in education and training
4.3. Reducing gender bias in employment-promoting training
4.4. Assessing the allocation of funds for sports and youth policies
4.5. Providing assistance to cultural activities5 WORKING LIFE AND THE ECONOMY
5.1. Promoting employment
5.2. Removing disadvantages related to atypical employment
5.3. Supporting women entrepreneurs
5.4. Promoting regional development
5.5. Monitoring and assessing municipal policy
5.6. Local activities
5.7. Diversifying the activities of farmers
5.8. Suppressing occupational segregation
5.9. Promoting equal pay
5.10. Gender-sensitive policies of the State as employer6. THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
7. THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITIES AND TRAFFIC
8. SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND DECISION-MAKING
8.1. Assessing financial services in the light of consumer policy
8.2. Assessing permit policies
8.3. Developing civil defence
8.4. Providing consistent government aid to women's organisations
8.5. Increasing the participation of women belonging
to minority groups
8.6. Promoting equality of the disabled9. RECONCILING WORKING LIFE WITH FAMILY LIFE
9.1. Research funded by the European Union
9.2. Intensifying child guidance and family counselling10. REINFORCING MEN'S ROLE AS FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS
11. SOCIAL SECURITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES
11.1. Reducing marginalisation
11.2. Examining the relationship between income transfers and equality
12. REINFORCING GENDER EQUALITY IN HEALTH POLICY
12.1. Preventing health hazards related to personal habits
12.2. Promoting health
12.3. Promoting reproductive health and well-being
12.4. Continuing cancer screening
12.5. Developing the health service of MCH centres and schools
12.6. The relationship between occupational safety and health
and equality
12.7. Examining the state of mental health services
12.8. Improving the patient's status
12.9. Preventing female genital mutilation13. PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
13.1. International initiatives
13.2. The extent of violence and related ill-effects and costs
13.3. Reforming legislation
13.4. Developing the service system
13.5. Dealing with the violence theme in vocational training
13.6. Police measures to combat violence against women
13.7. Research, experiments and working methods
13.8. Public information and education campaigns
13.9. Commercialised sex, prostitution and trafficking in wives
13.10. Project for preventing violence against women14. MONITORING AND REVISING THE EQUALITY PROGRAMME
EQUALITY PROGRAMME OF THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT
- From Beijing to Finland
MAIN PRINCIPLES OF THE EQUALITY PROGRAMMEThe United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women was held from the 4th to the 15th of September 1995. On this occasion the Finnish Government signed the related Platform of Action, thus affirming its commitment to the objectives laid down therein.
The Beijing Platform of Action contains three main principles: the empowerment and advancement of women, the promotion and protection of the human rights of women and the promotion of equality by mainstreaming. The Equality Programme of the Finnish Government rests on these very same principles. The Platform of Action views equality between women and men as a human rights issue; for the Finnish Government, the present Equality Programme is a tool for implementing the human rights of women in practice.
The empowerment and advancement of women is the key mission of the Beijing Platform of Action. Considering the world-wide discrimination against women, this is an ambitious objective. At the same time it is the only objective worth striving for. The Platform of Action aims at promoting women's full and equal participation in developing the residential and general environment and in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. It also encompasses personal and family relations. The human dignity of women and girl children must be protected throughout their life cycle, first by teaching girls and boys to play and work together and to respect each other and later by combating all forms of violence against women and girl children.
The promotion of gender equality in all walks of life is called mainstreaming. Implementing the mainstreaming principle is a key item on the agendas of the Beijing Platform of Action, the Fourth Action Programme for Equal Opportunities and the Equality Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers. As part of mainstreaming, a gender perspective is reflected in all policies at all levels, whether local, regional, national or international. Reaching these goals is made easier by a residential and general environment created according to this same principle.
1. PROMOTING EQUALITY BY MAINSTREAMING
1.1. Basis provided by the fundamental rights in the Constitution Act and by the Equality Act
In recent years the general obligation of public authority to promote gender equality has been integrated into Finnish legislation. The related acts form the basis for the adoption of the mainstreaming principle in public administration and more generally in Finnish society.
According to the reform of the Constitution Act that was completed in 1995, gender equality shall be promoted in social activities and in working life. In the same year the provision in the Act on Equality between Women and Men (the Equality Act) concerning the obligation of authorities to promote gender equality was complemented by a statement whereby all authorities shall act in a determined and methodical manner and remove any obstacles to equality. According to the mainstreaming principle, such measures must be taken in all sectors of public authority. Furthermore, the Equality Act prescribes that government committees, municipal bodies and the executive and administrative bodies in public authority and municipal and state-majority companies shall comprise an equitable proportion of both women and men.
While deliberating on the reform of the Equality Act, the Committee on Employment Affairs mandated by Parliament proposed that the effects of the legislative reform be considered separately for women and men. A similar, more general, guideline was already included in the instructions for drafting government proposals; it stated that an evaluation should be made of the impact of these proposals on the economy, organisations, staff policies and the environment as well as on the status of the different non-governmental groups. Usually, however, little attention has been paid to the gender perspective. For example, a study of the government bills presented in 1994 showed that the impact of these bills on non-governmental groups was considered only in about ten percent of the cases. The figure was under one percent (two Government bills) when it came to assessing the effect on the promotion of equality.
1.2. The mainstreaming principle in administrationThe promotion of equality between women and men must be an overriding principle in all decision-making related to public administration and also when planning and taking measures and evaluating their impact. A condition for successfully implementing the mainstreaming principle is that decision-makers and the persons responsible for drafting proposals be fully committed to advancing equality. For this purpose they must have sufficient basic information on the status of women and men in all sectors of social policy, acquired for example from gender-specific statistics, studies, impact analyses and scientific research.
Equality is promoted not only by obligating the ministries and other authorities to do so, but also by highlighting the gender perspective in certain specific branches of administration.
As laid down in the Equality Plan of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry must consider the equality principle when preparing matters and must follow and participate in international debates on the issue. The gender perspective is realised by having women participate equally with men in planning and decision-making. The Ministry strives to promote equality in budgeting as well as in operating and economic plans. The long-term objective of the Ministry is to abandon operational equality plans and instead to use operating and economic plans as the framework for equality projects. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
The mainstreaming principle has been applied to several equality issues at the Ministry of Education, and new applications are constantly being sought. The Ministry stresses the importance of mainstreaming especially in sports and youth policy. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry promotes equality according to the mainstreaming principle in its entire administrative branch. There will be increased research and statistics on women's employment and economic status, women will continue to be provided with counselling and training and the compilation of gender-specific statistics on income formation will be introduced in order to improve administrative services. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
Promoting equality in all its aspects is one of the basic responsibilities of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Every year, the Ministry prepares a number of reforms that affect the everyday lives of citizens. In the future, the role of these reforms in the promotion of gender equality will be scrutinised even more carefully as early as in the preparatory stage. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
While the Ministry of Labour observes the mainstreaming principle in its administrative branch in general, it is especially aware of its importance in employment management. Attention is paid to the gender perspective in all decision-making, including preparations, implementation and monitoring. Monitoring must include equality analyses. Improvements are made whenever results and observations give cause for doing so. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour)
The Ministry of the Environment develops environmental and community policy according to the objective of gender equality. To this end, practices are laid down that improve the opportunities of both women and men to participate in environmental and community policy. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Environment)
For the purpose of developing methods and producing the necessary reports, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will launch in 1997 a project for developing and testing administrative practices in line with the mainstreaming principle. Models will be created for applying this principle to the preparation of government proposals and to budget and information control. The project is part of a larger mainstreaming project prepared by the Nordic Council of Ministers and implemented in co-operation with other ministries responsible for developing the mainstreaming principle. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in co-operation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of the Environment) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Developing the Mainstreaming Principle)
Plans have been made to conduct a study on the practical effects of the Equality Act, especially application practices. In this connection an evaluation will be made of the social impact of the Act, especially in working life and social decision-making. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Evaluation of the Effects of the Equality Act)
The Association of Finnish Local Authorities will launch a study on the implementation of the equality principle. The aim is to chart the situation in municipalities before and after the reformed Equality Act entered into force on 1 March 1995.
1.3. Training at the highest levelEquality cannot be promoted without the commitment of political decision-makers and authorities. Their interest in and knowledge of the issue can be increased by providing information and training and by acquainting them with the situation.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is presently co-ordinating a project under which the highest-ranking officials are acquainted with equality issues. The first stage will involve a meeting in January 1997 for the training and information officers of Ministries. This will be followed by training events for secretary generals, office heads and heads of the provinces. The training provided in this context will be relatively restricted, its purpose being to complement the other events arranged for top-level authorities. Training will be continued on the basis of experience gained and extended in 1998 to other decision-makers in society, for example university rectors (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Training Highest-ranking Officials). Municipalities will be responsible for the corresponding training of its own decision-makers and high-level authorities.
The experts, presenting officials and drafting secretaries of the different offices also need to be taught to use impact analyses, statistics and research related to equality issues. Such training could be planned as part of the above mentioned Nordic mainstreaming project. Ministries and offices are expected to encourage equality training on their own initiative. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, all ministries) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Training Users of Statistics and Research)
1.4. Developing statisticsStatistics cast light on the inequalities prevailing in society. Thus the Beijing Platform of Action accentuates the need for developing national, regional and international statistical services that would produce gender-specific information for the purpose of planning and evaluation. For example the statistics on education and training, population factors, labour force, salaries and income compiled by Statistics Finland provide the elements necessary for building a picture of women's and men's position in society. Other information essential in the assessment of gender balance can be obtained from ministries and national boards.
However, even these sources are not yet sufficient to fulfil the requirements set out in the Platform. There is a special need for more detailed statistics on women in social decision-making and power wielding and on women's economic activities, in particular unremunerated work.
Statistics are an important tool when integrating a gender perspective into state administration. The effect of measures on gender balance cannot be evaluated without more advanced statistical material and new processing methods. In this context, the various authorities and Statistics Finland will evaluate statistical compilation methods as part of the mainstreaming project undertaken at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, all ministries and Statistics Finland) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Compiling Statistics in View of Gender Equality)
The Finnish Government wishes to monitor citizens' impressions about gender equality and changes in the situation. Therefore a so-called equality barometer will start being published at least every other year to provide information on the experiences of women and men regarding equality in personal relationships, family life, organisations, working life and society. The first barometer will appear in 1997. In support of this, Statistics Finland will design, in co-operation with users, equality indicators to gauge gender bias in education and work, earned income, the distribution and availability of services, participation in society, decision-making, health and crime. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Statistics Finland) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: The Equality Barometer and Equality Indicators)
The Association of Finnish Local Authorities will be responsible for compiling statistics on the implementation of equality in the municipal sector.
1.5. Promoting researchThe promotion of equality faces persistent obstacles that have their roots deep within the structures of society, culture and the practices of various institutions. These problems can be grasped and weeded out only with the help of extensive basic and applied research such as that conducted within the framework of women's studies. Finnish equality policy has benefited greatly from the essential information thus gathered.
The vast knowledge produced by women's studies is called for when implementing the mainstreaming principle according to the Equality Programme of the Finnish Government and evaluating the impact of decisions on gender equality. In order for research results to be useful to equality work, it is necessary to improve the national information and documentation services related to women's studies, which up to now have received only modest resources.
Today women's studies are taught at nearly all of Finland's universities. In the future experts will need to master not only their own branch of study but should also be aware of the key issues related to gender equality in their field, and this is an important argument in favour of including women's studies in the curricula of all universities. It is also a big step on the path to integrating a gender perspective into society as a whole.
Women researchers should be encouraged in their careers. A working party set up by the Academy of Finland is presently examining ways of removing obstacles to the advancement of women researchers and improving their status.
As part of a five-year project, the Ministry of Education is providing funds for seven new professorships for women in 1995-1997. The different administrative branches base their decisions on studies and investigations. In line with the mainstreaming principle the focus should be on women's and men's living conditions and interests whenever this is relevant. Under investigation at present are the attitudes towards equality and women's issues in rapidly growing research on different sectors. (Ministries in charge: the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
Research grants exempt from tax are not taken into account when determining maternity leave, paternity leave or parental leave benefits. This means that if the parent has no other income, he or she is entitled only to the basic daily allowance. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is planning to correct this situation. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
2. THE GLOBAL FRAMEWORK2.1. Promoting human rights in international organisations
Finland places increasing emphasis on human rights in its foreign and security policy stances. Promoting the human rights of women and children is an important objective of the Finnish Government in such forums as the United Nations and the Council of Europe. The Finnish Government works to integrate a "women's perspective" in all human rights activities and in other political decision-making of the UN. The Government nominates an equal number of women and men when appointing representatives to international bodies or candidates for elections. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
Finland wishes to include a gender dimension in the assignments of UN human rights rapporteurs. Reported violations especially against the human rights of women can be more easily brought before bodies dealing with such issues. The detailed definition of war crimes and crimes against humanity, pre-trial detention and the implementation of punishments are all instrumental to the promotion of the equality principle in humanitarian law. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
At the United Nations and the Council of Europe, Finland actively supports two projects in preparation that would expand the human rights appeal system. One project concerns including a provision on an appeal procedure in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), while the other would provide for an opportunity to appeal against gender-based discrimination on the grounds of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
In November 1996 it was Finland's turn to start presiding over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for a term of six months. In this connection Finland has taken the initiative to arrange a seminar on equality in Finland in spring 1997. It will deal with the theme "women in politics and in political decision-making". Guests at the seminar will include researchers and officials in addition to actors in political life. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs) (Project/the Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Women in Politics and in Political Decision-Making)
A Division on the Human Rights of Women was established under the Committee on International Human Rights mandated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In 1997 the Committee will organise an international seminar on sexual rights as part of human rights. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs) (Project/the Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Seminar on the Human Rights of Women)
The various aid programmes within the scope of trade policy will be directed to projects that also promote the advancement of women. The link between human rights and trade laid down for example in the aid schemes of the European Union or in the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) helps place emphasis on the advancement of women. It might be worth resuscitating small-scale systems such as the import promotion programme that encouraged production by developing countries and was planned by FINIPO, which ceased operations in 1995. Promoting import, namely the import of products manufactured by women, is concrete action in favour of women in developing countries. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
2.2. Promoting gender equality as Finland prepares for presidency of the European UnionPromoting equality within the European Union is one of the objectives of the Finnish Government when preparing EU-related matters and deciding on courses of action. This is best realised by having Finnish women hold visible roles in co-operation at European level. Prior to its presidency in 1999, Finland will highlight the gender perspective when planning specific training and issuing instructions and recommendations related to the preparations. This in order that ministries and persons being trained for functions pertaining to Finland's presidency would promote equality when planning matters that will be dealt with in EU task forces. (Ministries in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance) If the EU eventually decides to take new members, gender equality issues will become all the more crucial.
At the Intergovernmental Conference, Finland will insist on the promotion of equality between women and men. Its objective is to supplement the Treaty with a ban on gender-based discrimination and a provision on the promotion of equality between women and men. The European Union would then be obliged to mainstream the equality principle in all its areas of operation. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
2.3. Co-operation in developing countries and adjacent countriesThe strategic objective of the development co-operation carried out by the Finnish Government in the 1990s is to combat wide-spread poverty, prevent environmental hazards and promote social equality, democracy and human rights in developing countries. This is not possible without the full participation of women in decision-making, responsibility sharing and the reaping of benefits. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
According to its decision in principle made on 12 September 1996 concerning development co-operation, the Government undertakes to promote measures that reinforce women's participation in society, improve the access of girls and women to basic education and help implement the Platform of Action that was laid down at the Fourth World Conference on Women and aims at the empowerment and advancement of women and girl children. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
The Finnish Government strives to integrate a gender perspective into all development co-operation. To this end it provides continuing training to its staff and plans and implements projects on the basis of a gender-role analysis. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
The Government sees to it that strategic objectives are met in bi- and multilateral projects and in the development co-operation carried out by NGOs. It reminds parties of the need to safeguard sustainable development by promoting the equal participation of women and men in all stages and at all levels of development co-operation. This point of view has been included in resolutions at EU level and in courses of action decided by the OECD/DAC (Development Aid Committee). (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
The strategy for co-operation in adjacent countries, approved on 10 May 1996 by the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy appointed by the Finnish Government, draws attention to equality issues. Accordingly, bilateral funding granted by Finland will be directed to projects that strengthen democracy, especially to educational programmes for women and young people and to development of the related infrastructure. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs)
In international co-operation in the forestry sector, Finland emphasises the importance of women and their contribution to forestry. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
3. EQUALITY IN THE MEDIAThe Finnish Journalists' Association, with over 9,000 members employed by the media, has adopted an equality programme and a model for an equality plan for editorial staffs. A central objective of the equality plan is to promote equality in working communities employing journalists and in media companies and to mainstream this principle in the editorial content. In 1996 the Finnish Journalists' Association made a survey of the number of women and men in managerial positions in the media. The Finnish Broadcasting Corporation and Finnish commercial television channel MTV Oy have likewise drafted equality plans.
The Finnish Journalists' Association is committed to the promotion of equality between women and men. In a statement issued to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health it expressed its wish that the Finnish Government and Finnish officials would work actively in the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations to improve the status of girl children according to the model in Nordic countries, intervene in human rights violations and violence, strive to combat these scourges by peaceful means and help alleviate misery and suffering. The welfare state must not be developed at the expense of the cornerstones of gender equality: equal employment opportunities and equal participation in working life and family life. Implementation of the Equality Act must be monitored closely and more time and energy must be consecrated to pursuing research and compiling statistics on equality issues. It is necessary to look into the effect on women's and men's status of acts and statutes dealing with communications and technology; any defects must be remedied. When granting licences, attention should be paid to the ability and desire of the different media to comply with human rights and equality treaties. In reply, the Finnish Government declares that all the aspects highlighted above by journalists have been taken into account in the present Equality Programme.
Equality can be promoted in the educational material produced for teachers and pupils and by evaluating existing material according to the criteria of gender equality. Educational resources should help teachers and pupils recognise and analyse hidden messages related to gender. With this in view, educational administration produces educational and teaching material that promotes a media-critical attitude and enables the public to analyse the characters portrayed in the media. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education) (Project/the Ministry of Education: Media-Critical Educational Material)
The year 1998 will see the launch of a research project that will look at gender equality in the media from several angles and analyse the relationship of ordinary citizens with the media and their attitude towards hidden messages. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education) (Project/the Ministry of Education: Research on Equality in the Media)
One purpose of consumer education is to make the public aware of men's and women's behavioural models and norms presented in publicity and in general of the persuasive mechanisms used by publicity. Consumers will then be more prepared to interpret advertisements and make purchase decisions. National Consumer Administration and the Office of the Consumer Ombudsman are co-operating to produce educational material for schools in support of these efforts. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Trade and Industry) (Project/the Ministry of Trade and Industry: Gender Equality in Publicity and Consumer Education)
4. EDUCATION AND TRAININGThe Finnish educational system rests on the principle of equality between women and men. Promotion of gender equality is an educational goal incorporated into school legislation and the Act on Children's Day Care. Women's level of education has risen faster than men's, and Finnish women under 50 are slightly better educated than men. In fact, school is probably the area in Finnish society where gender equality has progressed the farthest. As a result, gender equality in education is sometimes considered a self-evident fact. The Equality Programme of the Finnish Government stresses the continued importance of gender equality as an educational goal while pointing out the existing gender-division in educational and career choices.
4.1. Promoting equality as part of educational objectivesSatisfaction in the situation in Finnish schools may lead to gender blindness where little attention is paid to girls' and boys' different experiences. Everyone agrees with the principle of gender equality, but certain practices may in fact sow the seed of inequality. Why is it that girls are better than boys in all subjects except maths and physics, but nonetheless boys have more confidence in their own performance? Finnish schoolgirls have a lower self-esteem and are less satisfied with themselves than Finnish schoolboys.
It is a well-known fact that many boys are restless in school. Boys have more behavioural problems and learning difficulties than girls during their school years, or at least they are more visible. These injurious traits follow some boys into adulthood. Methods of prevention might include discussions and research on the educational objectives for boys, on the cultural models available to the Finnish male and on school's responsibility.The human rights treaties ratified by Finland lay down an obligation to provide human rights instruction at school. Promoting equality between women and men is a related educational objective. These goals are pursued according to the mainstreaming principle, both in classrooms and in teacher training. Teacher training is supposed to endow teacher candidates with the basic information and skills that will permit them to instruct and promote human rights and equality in everyday school work. Mainstreaming must also be extended to subject- and gender-specific didactics. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
In some cases, mainstreaming has become synonymous with haphazard and superficial implementation of human rights and gender equality. The Ministry of Education keeps this in mind when evaluating and monitoring local curricula and issuing instructions for drafting curricula. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
The one-sided gender structure of the day care centre staff poses a special problem to the early education of children. This and other equality issues will be considered more broadly by the Committee on the Revision of Objectives in Early Education, to be mandated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in the first half of 1997.
Health habits acquired in youth are often retained throughout a person's lifetime. Youngsters have always been the central target of health education. The basic guidelines for drafting curricula, prescribed by the National Board of Education, include goals concerning environmental and health education. Within the framework of these themes, students are encouraged to care for the environment, practice and enjoy sports and acquire healthy habits and practices. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
An adult's gender identity is forged during adolescence and youth. Sexual development cannot be separated from a youngster's physical, psychological and social growth and development. Therefore, teachers and the student welfare staff must be involved in the promotion of students' reproductive health. Sufficient time must be reserved early on for human relations education and sex education. The education provided should boost a youngster's emotional and gender identity, help him or her understand and appreciate the opposite sex and promote working human relations. Support must be given to schools, teacher training developed and co-operation with health centres intensified as part of orchestrated efforts. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Education: Developing Professional Skills in the Instruction of Reproductive health)
Educational resources often reflect attitudes not in line with the ideal of gender equality. The practice of approving educational material was given up, however, once centralised supervision stopped serving its original purpose. The ever-increasing supply of educational material is being constantly supplemented by the Internet and by sponsored material, press clippings, libraries and other external sources.
4.2. Reducing gender bias in education and trainingIn the same manner as working life, education continues to be gender-segregated. Pupils continue to be placed into girls' and boys' groups in such subjects as crafts training. The gender gap is widened whenever students can choose subjects freely. Technology, physics and information technology training is increasingly male-dominated, while more and more girls choose traditional "girl's subjects".
Educational administration has undertaken extensive projects to diversify the instruction of maths, natural sciences and languages in primary and secondary school. The goals of gender equality can be better attained by modifying the content of these subjects. Development projects will test various policies and concentrate especially on reforming teacher training. Through the project called "Finns' Skills in Maths and Natural Sciences in 2002", the Ministry of Education targets figures topping 40% for girls' participation in the long course in maths, physics and chemistry in secondary school and 30% for women's share of new students in technical fields in the year 2002. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
In 1995, 55% of the new students accepted to universities were women. The proportion of women is the largest in veterinary science, while male students form the majority in technical fields. The prevailing gender bias has raised much discussion especially in pedagogics and teacher training.
In 1996 the Ministry of Education asked universities to report on the selection criteria so far used by them to alter the gender structure in certain fields of study. Such measures might include the introduction of extra points or quotas and changes to the selection criteria.
During 1996 the Ministry of Education conducted negotiations with the universities on ways of ensuring that both genders be better represented in the different fields. According to the outcome of these negotiations the Ministry will issue in 1997 recommendations concerning the selection of students. Measures to harmonise the gender distribution are to be taken as early as in the entrance exams of 1997.
Universities providing vocational training will become multi-disciplinary units that will transcend the gender-divisions maintained by present-day educational establishments. Cross-disciplinary training schedules and curricula can and should be created to permit students to make unconventional choices. Additionally, development and research projects should be launched to alter the practices and teaching methods of educational establishments and teachers' attitudes. A few projects aiming at encouraging women to take up studies in the technical sector have already been initiated in Finland. The same should be done to orientate men towards the social sector and teaching. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
The Ministry of Education is reflecting whether harmonising the gender structure could be used as a criteria when assessing the performance of universities providing vocational training. The Ministry is prepared to finance for example pilot projects carried out by these universities to promote gender equality. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education) (Project/the Ministry of Education: The Gender Structure of Universities Providing Vocational Education)
4.3. Reducing gender bias in employment-promoting trainingThe gender-division is also evident in employment-promoting training: women tend to choose training for occupations in the social, sales and service sector, while men more frequently than women choose training in the technical, transportation and construction sectors and in the metal and electrical industry. Women and men have the same chances of being accepted for employment-promoting training. For example in 1995 altogether 46% of the applications led to favourable results, regardless of the applicant's gender.
The Ministry of Labour has spotlighted the gender segregation prevailing in training on such occasions as the negotiations on targeted results conducted with labour districts. Measures have been taken to raise the share of the under-represented gender in individual branches of study. Thus in entrepreneurship training the targeted share of women is higher than their unemployment rate. It seems that some encouraging results have already been achieved in training for the electrical and technical sectors; however, more definite conclusions cannot be drawn without more detailed statistical analysis.
4.4. Assessing the allocation of funds for sports and youth policiesSports and youth policy is being steered towards a more gender-sensitive direction. In order to receive government aid, sports and youth organisations will have to be more active in promoting gender equality in their administration and other operations.
Training in sports and youth policy should provide the tools necessary for promoting equality. The Ministry of Education is funding research projects that will look at gender-related issues in sports and youth policy. The Ministry will also give its support to concrete projects that aim at promoting gender equality in sports and youth policy. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
4.5. Providing assistance to cultural activitiesThe Government recommends that the Central Commission for Art and the provincial commissions for art distribute prizes, grants and comparable aid equitably to women and men. When granting prizes, discretionary government aid and other funding subsidies, the Ministry of Education pays special attention to the needs of women's organisations involved in cultural activities. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
5. WORKING LIFE AND THE ECONOMYDiscussions are being conducted in Finland and all over the European Union about the restructuring currently taking place in working life, and new forms of work are being proposed as a solution to employment. They might include activities in the grey area of self-employment, wage work and voluntary work. Authorities should recognise these new forms of activity and provide room for them to the extent possible.
In Finland women participate in working life almost as frequently as men. In 1996 the share of women in the entire labour force was 48.6%, and they constituted half of all employees. While both women and men work full-time, women are in fixed-term employment relationships (19.7%) and work part-time (10%) more commonly than men (13.8% and 4% respectively).
Unemployment has not affected female and male employees in the same way. In the wake of the recession, men's unemployment in particular started to grow at an accelerated pace. The difference between women's and men's unemployment rates was the greatest in 1992, ie, 15% against 10%. The gap has narrowed since then. At the height of unemployment in 1994, 19.9% of men and 16.7% of women were without work. In 1995 the rate for men dropped, while women's unemployment remained at the previous year's level. The total number of unemployed persons continued to fall in 1996, and today approximately the same amount of women as of men are unemployed, ie, 16.6% and 16.5% respectively.
Contrary to the situation for other age groups, the unemployment of the aging population kept growing throughout 1996: the rate for persons aged 50 or more rose by 12% from the previous year. At the end of 1996 the persons in this age bracket accounted for over one fourth of the jobless. Employment-promoting measures and training is rarely directed at those over 55. Only 1% of the jobless in this critical group received training. Employees over 55 as well as low-paid and poorly educated women are those most likely to lose their jobs. Men are more threatened by long-term unemployment than women.
The supply of male and female labour force diminished equally during the recession. The number of those taking up domestic work remained slight, although in the first years of the recession during 1990-1992, there was a modest rise in the number of those engaged in domestic work but not part of the labour force. This was followed by a downward trend, and in 1995 the number of those engaged in domestic work was slightly lower than before the recession. There is a risk that the cuts in public spending will increase the amount of care work performed at home. Municipalities have a special role in arranging care work and assigning resources.
The principal labour legislation is presently being reformed. The new Working Hours Act entered into force on 23 November 1996, and a committee is looking into the need to reform the Employment Contracts Act. The mainstreaming principle should be kept in mind both when applying the former Act and revising the latter. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour) (Project/Ministry of Labour: Reforming Labour Legislation according to the Mainstreaming Principle)
The following subchapters deal with the gender perspective in Finnish working life. A look is first given at the measures taken by the Government to relieve unemployment. Information thus gathered will help administration recognise gender differences in working life. The second subchapter concerns atypical employment relationships, especially the increase in fixed-term employment. The Government's intensified efforts to encourage women's self-employment are the subject of the third subchapter. In several administrative branches, the most successful projects have been those promoting women's self-employment; often, they are part-financed by the Structural Funds of the European Union. The fourth and fifth subchapters, for their part, deal with regional and local development, while the topic of the sixth subchapter is the diversification of farming and the likely changes in the ownership of farms. Pay differentials between women and men and the principle of equal pay are discussed in the seventh subchapter. Finally, the eighth subchapter presents the measures taken by the State as employer to improve women's status.
5.1. Promoting employmentThe employment, counselling and training services provided by labour administration can promote gender equality in the labour market. Employment and counselling services influence people's choices and orientation and render the labour market more efficient. These services have a large audience among employees and employers alike. Employment services promote gender equality by providing jobseekers with extensive information on available employment and training and by supporting clients who are looking for jobs outside traditional gender boundaries and new work opportunities such as self-employment. Face-to-face vocational counselling provides an opportunity to broaden the client's views and encourage non-stereotypical career and training moves.
The share of women undertaking labour market training has grown and corresponds today to their share of the unemployed and of those applying for training. In 1993, women accounted for 39% of those starting training and in 1996 for as much as 46%. Women's respective unemployment rates were 44% and 47%.In autumn 1996 the Ministry of Labour set up a broadly-based working party to investigate ways of improving women's employment situation; it will make a proposal at the beginning of 1997. The task of the working party consists in analysing the structure of and reasons for women's unemployment and uprooting the elements in training and entrepreneurship promotion that weaken women's status in the labour market.
Labour administration promotes gender equality in co-operation with the other Nordic countries too. The results of the pan-Nordic Job-Profil project targeting employers will be applied when building co-operation between employment authorities and companies. Another Nordic project was undertaken in autumn 1996; it encourages employment authorities in the different countries to exchange experiences gathered from work toward equality in customer service and to develop appropriate working methods. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour)
If a jobseeker is threatened by protracted unemployment, the job centre drafts a personal employment plan that includes a mention of the obstacles to and possibilities of finding work and a plan for improving these possibilities. Such a plan would also help deal with women's typical obstacles to employment. The group counselling services provided by labour administration have proved to be fairly useful in creating unemployed women's networks and guiding business activities. These forms of assistance will be continued, and women's self-employment will be promoted with the support of the development projects that have sprung from the EU's Employment-Now Community initiatives. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour)
The objective of the national policy programme for small and medium-sized enterprises is to cut the indirect labour costs incurred by labour-intensive enterprises in this group. This in turn would increase demand for the products and services of small and medium-sized enterprises. The benefit would be reaped especially by labour-intensive companies in the service sector, which are often founded and run by women. A regular evaluation procedure would be implemented during this programme to better monitor the effect of new laws and regulations on small companies. Women entrepreneurs are the evident beneficiaries of these measures. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Trade and Industry)
In the future a mention of the sectors likely to benefit from the funding granted for the investment and development projects of small and medium-sized enterprises will be included when evaluating the impact of budgetary measures on employment. This would give an indication of gender-specific effects, which could be taken into account when funding the investment and development projects of fledgling and well-established small and medium-sized companies. The employment-promoting effect of indirect jobs would be boosted at the same time. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Trade and Industry)
5.2. Removing disadvantages related to atypical employment
Atypical employment, meaning part-time work and fixed-term employment relationships, is more common among women than men. Women made up 65% of all part-time workers in 1995. Nonetheless, the share of men is rising in all sectors. Likewise, women are more frequently in fixed-term or temporary employment relationships than men, ie, 15% against 12%. The chronically high unemployment rates have contributed to the spread of atypical employment.
In May 1995 the Government presented to Parliament a proposal for measures - amendments to the Employment Contracts Act, Study Leave Act and the Occupational Safety Act - which would harmonise the status of persons in atypical employment and that of regularly employed persons. The revised acts will enter into force on 1 May 1997. The entitlement of those in atypical employment to pension security and holiday benefits is being investigated. (Ministries in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Labour)
5.3. Supporting women entrepreneursAuthorities in most EU countries have striven to promote small-scale entrepreneurship and other forms of self-employment. Small-scale entrepreneurship was on the decline in continental Europe prior to the recession, but as a result of the economic slump and long-term unemployment, it has become an increasingly attractive alternative; it is noteworthy that more and more of the pioneers are women. In Finland, too, self-employment is proposed as a way out of unemployment. Longer working hours go hand in hand with self-employment. According to a labour force survey carried out in Europe, including Finland, in 1993, entrepreneurs daily put in more working hours than employees and also work more frequently on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Structural Funds of the European Union finance several projects promoting women's employment. Some of the entrepreneurship training is financed by the European Social Fund. The project-specific objectives state that each project must provide employment to women and men in proportion to their unemployment rate. The schemes of the Structural Funds aim for example at encouraging women entrepreneurs, preventing the jobless from losing touch with working life, easing re-entry into the labour market and improving skills. The gender perspective is monitored and reinforced when implementing schemes. Results are made public and exploited within the administrative branch in question. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
The proportion of women among the users of development services for small and medium-sized enterprises is monitored particularly closely in the projects funded by the European Social Fund. As part of the third long-term draft scheme for small and medium-sized companies definitively approved by the Council, the Commission of the European Union will take complementary measures to encourage entrepreneurship, especially small enterprises and the crafts industry, and to assist women entrepreneurs within the framework of the local employment initiative for women. Finland will insist that measures promoting women's enterprises be included in the business policies drafted by the EU. The Ministry of Trade and Industry will participate from 1996 to 1999 in the Development Programme for the Crafts Industry and Industrial Art launched by the Finnish Crafts Organisation. Special steps will be taken in favour of the crafts industry, which is often in the hands of women. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Trade and Industry)
Finland has less women entrepreneurs than formerly. They constitute only one third of all self-employed persons, and during the 1990s they have increasingly specialised in personal services. At the same time, however, more women are setting up repair shops or starting to provide services in support of businesses. Women entrepreneurs should be encouraged by counselling at local and regional level. Women often hesitate to cross the threshold of business life and self-employment. This can be rendered easier by supportive networks, counselling, training and supplementary services and by offering women the possibility of reconciling work with family life. Self-employment might be a solution to women's unemployment especially in the countryside, where the age and gender structure of the population is distorted.
Various projects and reforms have already been undertaken to promote women's entrepreneurship. For example the Act on the Regional Development Fund was amended so that in the beginning of 1997 the Fund can start granting special types of small loans to small-scale enterprises and women's business activities in the service sector, too. One type of loan would target women entrepreneurs and it would be granted for the investment and development projects of women entrepreneurs starting up or developing their operations. This special loan for women entrepreneurs will be granted during a trial period of five years, and allocation of the loans will be closely monitored.
Labour administration has sought to increase women's participation in entrepreneurship training. In 1995 nearly half, ie, 48% of the new participants were women, which corresponds to their share among the applicants for training. These figures have been constantly increasing. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has prepared a set of programmes, including the Ladies' Business School and the Topakat project providing training to women entrepreneurs. The training, counselling and other development services aimed at entrepreneurs are being tailored to entrepreneurs' - especially women entrepreneurs' - needs. In the future training provided for small and medium-sized enterprises will also include courses and seminars intended for women entrepreneurs. Universities also arrange entrepreneurship training in female-dominated sectors. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Education)
The Centre for the Promotion of Women-Run Enterprises started operating at the beginning of September 1996. It is responsible for promoting women's enterprises and self-employment in urban and rural areas, creating viable businesses and new jobs and grouping enterprises into networks. The Centre also tries to influence the attitudes of enterprising women who are still studying or already in working life so that they would consider starting up their own business. The Centre is a two-year pilot project financed fifty-fifty by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and by industry, co-operating organisations and entrepreneurs. WoMan, the International Institute for Women managers, established in 1988, aims at reforming management by multiplying women's opportunities of participating in society's political and economic structures. The Institute operates both at national and international level.
5.4. Promoting regional developmentA condition for balanced regional development is a balanced population structure throughout the country. One way of ensuring this is by offering equal employment opportunities to both women and men. Regional development programmes should be prepared, implemented, monitored and evaluated according to the mainstreaming principle.
The work of national regional policy is boosted by the schemes funded by the Structural Funds of the European Union. These include the scheme related to Objective 2 for the restructuring of regions hit by the structural change in industry, Objective 5b for the development of rural areas and Objective 6 for the development of sparsely populated regions. In 1994 a provision on promoting gender equality was incorporated into the rules of the Structural Funds. Decisions concerning the implementation of national regional development programmes and of regional programmes supported by the Structural Funds are made in the provinces concerned.
So far it is not known how these programmes have affected women entrepreneurs and women's employment or their possibility of operating and making a living in different parts of Finland. In order for the schemes of the Structural Funds to promote equality more efficiently, an evaluation should be made of the desired effects of regional development programmes on women's status and indicators should be found to measure these effects. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior)
The Finnish Government finds it necessary to study how and by what mechanisms the schemes financed by the Structural Funds affect gender equality. The study will be realised as soon as possible so that its outcome can benefit the provinces when they revise national regional development programmes and assess the results of the current schemes of the Structural Funds. The provinces will review their national regional development programmes by the end of November 1997, and the revised programmes will be approved by the bodies of elected officials in the respective provinces. In the beginning of 1997 new officials will be elected to these bodies for a term of four years. It is essential that these officials learn about the different aspects of regional development and the related principles, including the promotion of equality. The Government proposes that training be provided to all persons involved in the preparation of these programmes and especially to the elected officials of provinces. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior) (Project/the Ministry of the Interior: The Gender-Specific Impact of the Schemes of the Structural Funds)
5.5. Monitoring and assessing municipal policyMunicipal administration generates projects that also focus on equality issues. Examples include monitoring the implementation of the new Municipalities Act and the state subsidy system. In 1999 the Government means to present Parliament with a report on the consequences of the new Municipalities Act. In this task the Ministry of the Interior will be assisted by the University of Tampere. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior)
The reform of the state subsidy systems aims at improving the availability of municipal basic services throughout the country and implementing citizens' fundamental rights in a fair manner. A proposal for monitoring the new system is being drafted at the Ministry of the Interior in co-operation with the Association of Finnish Local Authorities and the appropriate ministries. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior)
In the preparation of EU schemes and the allocation of funds, the different ministries should work together to improve the formation of regional and local network economies, financing opportunities and the exploitation of data networks. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of the Environment)
5.6. Local activitiesIn the end of 1996 the Council of State mandated the Co-operation Group for Urban Policy to follow and evaluate development in urban areas, to outline the content of the State's urban policies and to make related proposals (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior). In its work, the Co-operation Group relies on the report on the state of Finnish cities and on the proposal for future urban policies made by the Working party for Urban Development. The Co-operation Group will tap the expertise of state sector administration, cities, business life and industry as well as universities when planning the development of metropolitan areas.
Investigations have revealed that women's unemployment has grown faster than men's in the 1990s. The number of jobless women is mounting especially in big cities and it will probably continue to rise owing to the large-scale dismissals of personnel from financing institutions. Consequently, unemployment-reducing measures should target cities, especially the many victims of long-term unemployment dwelling in the cities. Measures taken to create jobs in the service sector often benefit women. However, as urban women tend to be highly educated, they should be able to choose from a wide selection of job openings in several different sectors.
Earlier the Council of State mandated the Co-operation Group for Rural Policy to co-ordinate efforts to develop the countryside and to make the use of resources for rural development more efficient. The work of the Co-operation Groups for Rural Policy is presented in more detail in Subchapter 5.7. "Diversifying the activities of farmers".
In Finnish local government citizenship is enforced mainly by means of traditional representative democracy. The promotion of gender equality cannot depend on this alone, however. Although it is important to increase women's share in the decision-making bodies in local government, it should be kept in mind that citizenship is not limited to one range of action. The fewer the possibilities of influencing decisions, the greater the number of passive local residents. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of the Interior)
Citizenship should be defined as part of the efforts made to promote equality. A Swedish power study has come up with clear differences between the ways women and men influence decision-making in society. Men wield power in the various structures of representative democracy, for example in political parties and networks and as elected officials and highest-ranking officials, while women are active at the level of "large-scale democracy" in protests and demonstrations. The study defines "small-scale democracy" as people's direct possibility of influencing decisions concerning their own environment. This refers to parents' position with respect to schools and day-care centres, that of students with respect to educational establishments, that of patients and their relatives with respect to institutions and, naturally, that of occupants and residents with respect to their dwelling or residential area. Small-scale democracy in working life refers to the forms of action at individual working places.
With the exception of working life, all forms of "small-scale democracy" belong to women's sphere of activities. In recent years municipalities have brushed aside issues related to participation opportunities. When discussing democracy, the emphasis has been on developing representative democracy. However, small-scale democracy and large-scale democracy are complementary. Citizenship should be looked at from different angles when striving towards gender equality. Participation opportunities must be the same not only between women and men but also among the different residential areas and population groups of a municipality. Citizenship is secured through dialogue and multiple channels of influence. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of the Interior)
The purpose of the Participation Project started by the Ministry of the Interior is to create and gather Finnish models of non-governmental participation at local level. The project will concentrate on the experiments carried out by municipalities and assisted by the State. The Ministry is considering the possibility of granting exceptional permissions for the purposes of the experiments. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of the Interior)
5.7. Diversifying the activities of farmersFarming is undergoing a structural change: farm sizes are growing, specialised production and part-time farming are gaining ground, farm operations are becoming diversified and co-operation among farms is increasing.
The Co-operation Group for Rural Policy has invited experts and those in charge at implementing organisations to form theme groups. A special mention should be made here of the Rural Women's Theme Group.
The Rural Women's Theme Group aims at improving the status of rural women by increasing their opportunities to earn income and exert influence and encouraging them to participate in decision-making in society. The Rural Women's Theme Group aids rural women by promoting the creation of regional and local networks and development projects based on women's needs and objectives. The activities of this theme group significantly benefit the development of the countryside throughout Finland and within the framework of the European Union. In autumn 1996 the Rural Women's Theme Group launched in co-operation with labour administration and existing women's networks a three-year project for promoting women's employment. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
For several decades already, one of the purposes of Finnish legislation on the structure of agriculture has been to promote an open-minded attitude with respect to the gender of the head of a farm. A farmer's most important decision is usually the purchase of a farm, which in recent decades has been aided by low-interest government loans or by interest-rate subsidy paid by the State. The beneficiary could be either a woman or a man. In the most common situation, the farm has been bought by both spouses, even though one of the spouses might be employed outside the farm. Usually the other investments have been made jointly as well. The position of a married woman has been secure, as decisions to sell the farm have had to be made jointly, and in the event of a divorce it has been easier for a woman to justify her wish to remain alone at the head of a farm.
Since Finland adhered to the European Union in the beginning of 1995, certain changes have had to be made to national legislation governing the structure of agriculture. The corresponding European legislation lays down that the criteria for granting aid should be examined with respect to the person at the head of the farm and not with respect to the spouses jointly. The European aid systems did not allow complementary national acts that would better take into account Finnish agricultural practice and the status of the spouse - usually the wife - working outside the farm. In the long run this may lead to a situation where it will be rarer for someone working outside the farm to purchase and own a farm jointly with their spouse working on the farm full-time. The European practice of favouring the head of the family stems from the different tradition prevailing in the old Member States of the European Union, where social security has been arranged differently.
The Finnish Government plans new negotiations with the European Commission on reforming the aid system so as to bring the conditions for granting aid more into line with the earlier national system. Finland plans to take up the problems posed by the present Community aid provisions especially with respect to rural women's status also when European acts on the structure of agriculture are reformed. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
Changes in the farmers' pension system must not place the rural population in a worse position than other citizens. The female farmers' pension security system is a major step on the road to improving rural women's status and operating possibilities.
5.8. Suppressing occupational segregationAlthough Finnish women have constituted nearly one half of the workforce for a long time, occupational segregation has become accentuated during the 1990s. The majority of both men and women work for the private sector; however, nearly half of all women are employed by a municipality or the State. The trend in the mid-1990s is that a growing number of women work for the public service sector, while the share of women in the industrial workforce is dwindling. There has been a fall in the number of women employed in male-dominated fields, although men are choosing female-dominated occupations slightly more frequently than before. The share of both women and men has grown a little in fields where the proportion of women varies from 40% to 59%. Nonetheless most men and women continue to work in occupations where their own gender is dominant.
Efforts to suppress gender segregation are motivated by the desire to bring women's and men's domains closer to each other and promote understanding and partnership throughout society. Suppressing occupational segregation will contribute to the equal distribution of employment opportunities, the abolition of gender-based discrimination and the progress of equal pay.
The measures taken by the Ministry of Labour to reduce gender segregation include vocational counselling and adult education provided as part of employment policies. Projects aiming at developing working life should be directed in the same proportion to female- and male-dominated fields. The Ministry of Labour grants aid to development projects according to their impact on gender equality. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour). Certain measures of the Ministry of Education, such as its work in favour of the Information Society, likewise target the gender boundaries in working life. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
The Ministry of Defence will launch in 1997 a project that would open pilot training and the post of Air Force pilot also to women. The project will be carried out as a monitoring and evaluation study. According to the plan, women will be offered the same possibility as men to apply for Air Force pilot training by allowing female conscripts to participate in the course for Air Force reserve officers, after which they can apply for fighter pilot training, completion of which is the necessary qualification for the post of Air Force pilot. Women doing their voluntary military service can participate in pilot training for the first time in 1997. Starting in 1998 women in the Air Force cadet courses will be able to opt for training in air warfare, after which they will be eligible for the post of pilot. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Defence) (Project/the Ministry of Defence: The Training of Female Air Force Pilots)
5.9. Promoting equal payThe data available from tax authorities indicate that pay differentials between women and men have augmented in the past years. In 1994 women's annual earnings for full-time work were on the average 74.7% of men's corresponding earnings (the figure in 1992 was 76.8%). In contrast a comparison of average monthly earnings shows a slight reduction in pay differentials. In 1993, women's average monthly earnings equalled 82% of men's, against 80% in 1988. A high level of education does not help women reach men's pay level, as the average pay differential between women and men is around 25% regardless of the level of education, with the exception of researchers.
The labour market is witnessing the emergence of extremely low-paid employment where the salary is not enough to provide a livelihood. This phenomenon must be addressed and social security and taxation systems must be reformed as dictated by the changes in working life. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labour)
According to Section 5 of the Constitution Act, equality of the genders shall be promoted in social activities and in working life, in particular when determining remuneration and other terms of service as prescribed in greater detail in law. The equal pay provision in the Equality Act concerns the private as well as the public sector. Finnish employers must also observe the Equal Pay Directive and Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome. Actual salaries and wages are laid down in the collective agreements concluded by the social partners.
The Finnish Government seeks to promote equal pay in working life and when undertaking the planned research projects targeting work evaluation methods. Care should be taken to develop wage systems using work evaluation methods that conform with the criteria defined in European Union standards and case law.
The guidelines for developing the wage systems applied by the State have been entered into the 1993 collective agreements. Fair, motivating and equal wages for all employees and employee groups are the objective. The parties have agreed that the wage systems will be reformed by means of an appropriate sum of money allocated from the funds reserved for the payment of wages and salaries. No time limit has been set for undertaking the reform, as this depends on the situation at individual offices and public services. The guidelines simply call for a reform of the systems. The Ministry of Finance has published a booklet called "Incentive Wages" where it advises the different offices on how to reform their wage systems.
The State Labour Market Office reports every year on the State's wage structure and on the effect of different wage items on equal pay. Analyses of this kind help establish an incentive and fair wage system. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Finance)
5.10. Gender-sensitive policies of the State as employerMinistries, offices, public services and State-owned companies should demonstrate exemplary compliance with the obligations laid down by the Equality Act. This includes drafting annual plans for the promotion of equality and carrying out the staff policy measures that have been decided on. Equality plans for the staff must be made and updated by the end of June 1997, and such a plan must be presented every year as prescribed by the Equality Act. (Ministry in charge: all ministries) (Project: Equality Plans of the Ministries)
The Ministry of Finance is preparing a development programme for office staff which aims at improving professional skills, career management and job satisfaction. The programme is based on the principle of staff rotation among the different units of state administration and on related training. One objective is to study the possibilities offered by staff rotation and to intensify co-operation in staff development among the different state offices. A particular target are office employees who have a long career behind them but lack formal qualifications. The project is to start at the different offices in 1997 and last one year. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Finance) (Project/Ministry of Finance: Development Programme for Office Staff)
The Ministry of Finance assists offices in mentoring aimed at management and experts. Accordingly, offices receive expert help and can exchange experiences. More information is needed on the usefulness of the mentoring method and on eventual wider applications. The method is seen as a way to encourage women to apply for demanding management-level posts. The effects of the method especially on women's professional development and success need to be analysed further. The project will be launched in 1997 for a term of one to one-and-a-half years. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Finance) (Project/the Ministry of Finance: The Mentoring of Management-Level State Officials)
The Ministry of Defence is preparing a follow-up study aiming at improving the workplace atmosphere concurrently with the promotion of equality. The study will follow up the implementation of the improvements recommended in the 1992 study and their impact on the atmosphere of the workplace. Preparations will be carried out during 1997, and the actual inquiry and suggested improvements will be made in 1998 - 1999. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Defence) (Project/the Ministry of Defence: Follow-up Study of the Workplace Atmosphere in Defence Administration)The management development project started at the Ministry of Defence will continue in 1997. Its objectives are to develop management and co-operation practices that would make operations more target-oriented and to create a workplace atmosphere that promotes gender equality. Annual workplace atmosphere surveys will give an indication of the project's success. The staff, too, should be aware of how their own duties and goals fit into the broader operations and goals of the Ministry. The development process will continue until 1999. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Defence) (Project/the Ministry of Defence: Management Development Project at the Ministry of Defence)
6. THE INFORMATION SOCIETYInformation technology plays a growing role in all human activities - education, working life and hobbies - and it affects our view of the world and society in more ways than one. Computers and computer games interest boys and they acquire a head start on girls at an early age.
Gender segregation is particularly visible in training and occupations related to information technology. Practical IT skills are the domain of men, while women concentrate on the content and dissemination of information. For example in state administration most ADP planners and corresponding personnel are men, whereas women hold posts of information officer and other information experts. Finland's advanced library system traditionally employs women. The library network and the related networks of information and experts enable wide-scale co-operation in obtaining and processing information and distributing it to citizens. Owing to their know-how and excellent professional skills, women can reintegrate themselves into production, service and distribution tasks involving data contents and into data service in state administration at regional and local level.
The Ministry of Education will carry out research projects concerning gender differences in the use of IT and the new media of communication. Consideration will be given to finding types of IT and instruction methods that would encourage girls to learn about and use modern technology. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
A four-year (1995-1998) data network development programme called Tiveke is underway at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Finnish information highway will be defined as part of the programme, and the Ministry will try to promote the use of the Internet by having so-called generic as well as regular services integrated into it. Now that an increasing number of functions are on-line, society must see to it that this does not take place at the expense of gender and other equality. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Transport and Communications)
In spring 1997 an investigation will be made into the use of data networks by women. It will be financed from the funds budgeted for the data development network project of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and carried out by an outside expert. Further measures will be taken and partners chosen according to the outcome of the investigation. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Transport and Communications)
7. THE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNITIES AND TRAFFICThe creation of the infrastructure necessary for production, consumption and community planning in line with sustainable development is a priority of the Finnish Government. To highlight the gender perspective the Ministry of the Environment has generated in the course of the 1990s information on women's, children's and youngsters' views regarding environmental policy and regional and community planning. The work of the Committee on Sustainable Development helps define and evaluate the objectives and tasks of sustainable development in Finnish society. They include offering women the possibility of influencing environmental policies.
The Ministry of the Environment will initiate the MONITORI project to stimulate local action to manage and improve the environment, gather information on the environment and recycle goods and services according to the mainstreaming principle. The Ministry of the Environment will work together with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Labour. During the project a national thematic seminar will be arranged in co-operation with the Rural Women's Theme Group. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Environment) (Project/the Ministry of the Environment: Stimulating Local Action with the MONITORI Project)
Integration of a gender perspective is the condition for a good, healthy and safe residential, working, service and leisure time environment. When the time comes to reform the Building Act in 1997, it must be done in a way that increases the participation of women and men of different ages in building and planning. An extensive campaign will be launched to inform the public about changes in the environment and factors that contribute to these changes. A booklet called "Participate and Influence Your Environment" will be published in 1997. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Environment) (Project/the Ministry of the Environment: Increasing Public Awareness of the Environment)
The Ministry of the Environment monitors the state of the environment and develops quality indicators for the immediate environment. Indicators that provide a picture of the quality of everyday life are useful when assessing and monitoring the quality of the environment as a whole. Everyday life must be seen as part of a person's immediate environment. This will benefit gender equality as well. The quality indicators of the Ministry of the Environment may also serve the needs of the equality barometer. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Environment)
The Ministry of the Environment has established Finland's EUROFEM, Gender and Human Settlements network for the years 1995-1998. The international network is composed of 60 projects dealing with the infrastructure of communities, environments and housing projects in 12 European countries. The results of the EUROFEM project will be discussed in a conference to be held in Hämeenlinna, Finland, in 1998. At the close of this evaluation a declaration will be made around the theme "Women in the Policy of the Structural Funds of the EU". The Hämeenlinna conference will be prepared jointly with DG V responsible for equality policy and DG XVI responsible for regional policy within the European Union. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Environment)
In traffic-related issues, the Ministry of the Environment co-operates with the administrative branch of the Ministry of Transport and Communications to promote traffic safety and make services available equally to all citizens. The quality of public transport is improved by more efficient planning of land use and community structures. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Environment)
Local shops and easy access to supermarkets with public transport are signs of a healthy community and benefit sustainable development. Shops located within walking distance are especially important to persons without cars and to the elderly, ie, mainly women. In 1996 the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health began a study on the social consequences of the monopoly of supermarkets in a Turku suburb. In March 1997 the Supermarkets Working Party will make proposals for action.
Public transport is especially popular among women. A functioning public transport system is in harmony with sustainable development and gender equality. Development work in favour of public transport and, in contrast, cuts in allocations are reflected on women's and men's respective statuses. The availability and quality of public transport services should be guaranteed by consistent funding and by improving their competitiveness. Public transport must be adjusted to the needs of parents with small children, and the public transport network should also extend to sparsely-populated areas. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Transport and Communications)
Women often use public transport when commuting to and from work and at other times. Plans are underway to supplement the traditional public transport network with a Demand Responsive Transport Service. Minibuses maintaining such a service would facilitate journeys to work and children's transport to day care centres and schools. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Transport and Communications)
A telematics project has been launched at the Ministry of Transport and Communications to fine-tune the technology necessary for a Demand Responsive Transport Service and improve the availability, quality and cost-efficiency of traffic services. Telematics refers to information systems, payment systems and the technology used in the Demand Responsive Transport Service. New traffic management methods will improve access to shops, banks as well as social welfare and health care services. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Transport and Communications)
8. SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND DECISION-MAKINGWomen still have less say than men in decision-making in society. The share of women Members of Parliament has remained at one third for a long time; the figure is slightly lower in municipal councils. Before 1997 only 17% of the members of central councils and federal governments in provinces were women. These bodies are responsible for regional development. Women find it even harder to reach the top in business life. In 1993 one third of Finland's biggest companies had no women managers, and women accounted for only 11% of all the managers in these companies. In the private sector as a whole, the percentage of women was 21% in 1990. The only area where women managers are the rule is human resources. Companies themselves decide on their choice of managers.
The quota provision in the Equality Act has increased women's participation in the preparing of decisions in state administration. Prior to the reformed Equality Act, the share of women was at least 40% in 20% of all state committees and similar bodies. Now 68% of these bodies comply with the quota provision. The composition of the various bodies in municipal administration has been altered following the 1996 election and entry into force of the quota provision, permitting women to exert markedly more influence at local level. The presence of women will also grow in the co-operation partners of municipalities: the central councils and administrative boards of provinces.
According to the Equality Act, those elected to the executive and administrative bodies of state-majority companies shall be women and men in an equitable proportion, unless other considerations exist. In spite of this, women form only 24% of the members of the administrative bodies set up since the new Equality Act. The Government plans to raise women's percentage to 30 in the executive and administrative bodies of state-owned companies and businesses composed during 1997-1999.
Women should be better placed to influence decisions concerning the countryside, farms and forestry. This should be possible at all levels, especially in related counselling activities and organisations. The objective is to give women more power in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and in the rural sector, and to increase their numbers in the administrative bodies of advisory organisations. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
8.1. Assessing financial services in the light of consumer policy
An investigation is being conducted into consumers' status as users of financial services. In this context the courses of action of people in financial difficulties will be examined, as well as the distribution of risks and the ways consumer policy helps hard-pressed men and women cope. The status of users of essential services will be looked at especially closely. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Trade and Industry) (Project/the Ministry of Trade and Industry: Financial Services in the Light of Consumer Policy)
8.2. Assessing permit policiesWhen deciding on granting residence and work permits to immigrants and refugees, more attention should be paid to the applicants' culture and country of origin, which would also illuminate the status of women and men. A related training project will be funded according to the allocations available for the purpose. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior)
Finland is party to international co-operation aiming at preventing the trafficking in and illegal immigration of women for sexual purposes.
8.3. Developing civil defenceOnly about 30% of the members of organisations concerned with public civil defence are women. A woman's position in such organisations depends on her official rank in the municipality. The Government stresses the importance of including women in civil defence, especially in the independent organisation of civil defence and in training. Training is sometimes a gentle propaganda tool: for example the latest educational campaign featured a film dealing with house protection, where the head of civil defence was a woman. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior)
8.4. Providing consistent government aid to women's organisationsWomen's organisations have an undeniable role in promoting gender equality. They too face new challenges in a world of increasing international activities, especially since Finland's accession to the European Union. Women's organisations that keep a high profile in international and European arenas serve the purpose of Finnish society as a whole. Therefore these organisations should be aided in their co-operation and participation efforts in Finland and abroad and granted more public funds. The possibility of providing aid on a permanent basis will be studied in 1997. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Interior)
8.5. Increasing the participation of women belonging to minority groupsImmigrant women are in special danger of being left out of mainstream society. A priority goal of the Finnish Government is to improve the participation opportunities of women belonging to certain minority groups such as Lapps, Romanies and immigrants, and encourage them to transmit and develop their cultural traditions. The voice of minority women often goes unheard in mainstream society, as minority groups are typically represented by men. Minorities, both women and men, have particular needs that must be attended to. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
The Committee on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs (PAKSI) operating within the Ministry of Labour has mandated a working party to examine immigrant women's status in Finland. The focus will be on unemployment, discrimination, the risk of marginalisation, the preservation of women's native culture, violence against women and the illegal importation of women. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour)
8.6. Promoting equality of the disabledThe Beijing Platform of Action draws attention to the vocational training, access to work, working conditions and management and self-reliance training of disabled women. The Finnish Government will implement the measures called for by these items with respect to all disabled people regardless of gender. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Labour)
9. RECONCILING WORKING LIFE WITH FAMILY LIFEIn Finnish families both parents often work full-time, also mothers with small children. On the other hand, women are still in charge of most domestic chores. Working life reconciled with family life has been a pillar of Finnish equality and family policy. Legislation has been used to promote this goal, but old conventions are persistent. For example, parental and similar leaves are usually taken by women, and this weakens their position on the labour market.
Up to now, most family policy measures have supported families with small children. Nonetheless, people need to juggle work and family in all kinds of family and life situations. The reorganisation of social welfare and health care will emphasise the need for care of other vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, the disabled and the chronically ill, who traditionally have relied on their families.
The reconciliation of work and family life is often seen as a problem concerning solely women or social policy. In fact it has to do with the structure and regulation of society as a whole. Working life in the 1990s is in the midst of much change that together with family and social policy measures will play a role in the promotion of equality. In this context, households will be given new significance as providers of employment.
Community planning is another means of simplifying the lives of families and women; it determines the location of housing, workplaces and services and the use of time.
9.1. Research funded by the European UnionThe National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health Care (STAKES) is co-ordinating an extensive research and development project called "Reconciling Working Life with Family Life", jointly funded by the European Social Fund and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The purpose is to anticipate how changes in working life and social policy will influence gender equality and to establish practices at individual workplaces that would permit parents to keep their job while taking care of their families in different phases of life. The project will also generate data on the use of maternity, paternity, parental and child home care leaves in the entire country and in different sectors.
9.2. Intensifying child guidance and family counsellingThe Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will mandate a working party to see how authorities and volunteers could support parents, children and youngsters by providing more extensive and intensive child guidance and family counselling. The working party will also propose a new, more modern agenda for child guidance and family counselling work. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Intensifying Child Guidance and Family Counselling)
10. REINFORCING MEN'S ROLE AS FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERSMen's experiences and the quality of their lives are also aspects of the gender perspective. While reinforcing the father's role helps reconcile family life with working life, fatherhood should be promoted in all phases of life and in different family situations. If fathers were to participate more actively in the care and upbringing of their children this would also be in the children's interest.
Furthermore, it might have a broader positive effect on fathers' and men's status, and might smooth the way through crisis situations.
The father's role can be strengthened in several areas of life. On the labour market, children are still considered a woman's charge. It depends largely on workplace cultures and practices whether young fathers decide to take paternity or parental leaves or care for their sick children, although legally speaking they have the same right to do so as mothers. Of course, improvements can still be made to the paternity, maternity and parental leave systems and to arrangements relating to the care of a sick child so that fathers would find them more attractive.
The majority of modern Finnish fathers attend childbirth, a practice that definitely reinforces fatherhood. Nonetheless, there is room for improvements in fatherhood training; for example it might be worth organising courses designed specifically for men.
A father's status should be weighed also in the event of divorce. When parents divorce, the children usually remain with the mother, although joint custody is becoming more common. After divorce, contacts between father and child tend to lessen and lose importance. The same thing may happen to the grandfather-child relationship. Thought should also be given to the father's and grandfather's role in common-law marriage, which is becoming increasingly common.
The Government recommends that fathers' rights and their possibility of experiencing fatherhood to the full in different stages of their lives be examined and promoted. To this end the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will set up in 1997 a broadly-based committee to find a wide variety of ways of reinforcing the father's role. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Reinforcing Men's Role as Fathers and Grandfathers)
11. SOCIAL SECURITY AND SOCIAL SERVICESIn the Nordic welfare state, of which Finland is an example, social security and basic services secure the right of each woman and man to study and work. Such practical measures have promoted gender equality. This progress is now being undermined by the cuts in public funding for social security and social services and education, which place women in a difficult situation, whether they are the users or providers of these services.
11.1. Reducing marginalisationStudies have shown that the risk of poverty owing to a lack of income is the same for women and men in Finland. There is no feminisation of poverty in the international sense of the word. Women's status both in the labour market and at home has been strengthened by the Finnish social security system and the possibility of reconciling family life with remunerated work. Social services and family-policy income transfers have improved the situation of single mothers in particular, a group of women who otherwise risk being left out of mainstream society. Evidence indicates that certain groups of men are on average more prone than other people to becoming marginalised and dependent on the safety net provided by the welfare state. Therefore measures to reduce poverty must target the factors and processes that lead to the destitution of men, which may be different from those for women. However, more so than earlier, the lifestyle of certain women place them too at a greater risk of falling into poverty. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
11.2. Examining the relationship between income transfers and equalityThe promotion of gender equality is a natural objective when securing income transfers and social services, preparing related changes and evaluating their impact. For example the gender perspective is taken into account before any revisions are made to living allowance and child-care allowance. The way the supply and use of social welfare and health care services affect women and men is another typical consideration. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12. REINFORCING GENDER EQUALITY IN HEALTH POLICYEvery other year the Council of State gives Parliament a report on the state and progress of national health, including gender-specific health information and health behaviour and the measures necessary to improve the situation. The National Health Report for 1996 describes the upcoming challenges to health policy and suggests courses of action. One of the objectives in the near future is to integrate the equality principle into health issues, too; this was stressed by Parliament in its statement following the report.
Health differences between population groups can be reduced by health care services that reach entire age groups regardless of gender, place of residence and social class. Such services include the traditional child health centres, school health service and fairly extensive occupational safety and health services. Sufficient resources must be earmarked for the comprehensive and efficient work carried out by these health care units to prevent illnesses and promote health. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
Present-day Finns lead longer and healthier lives than previous generations. The main concern are chronic illnesses brought about by personal habits and age, and the premature deaths they cause. Illnesses lead to early retirement and keep especially men's mortality above the average in Europe.
While Finnish women generally outlive men, they have more illnesses and health-related complaints. The difference in women's and men's life expectancy has been one of the highest in the industrialised world, and the gap is closing very slowly. The effect of socio-economic factors on mortality rates, which is similar for women and men, has not diminished according to plans. Women and men suffer from different ailments. Cardiovascular diseases are especially common among men and are by far men's leading cause of death, although they account for the majority of women's deaths as well. Men's worse health and higher mortality can be explained by violence and suicides, alcohol and tobacco, which all are linked to lifestyles.
12.1. Preventing health hazards related to personal habits
Finnish women are pioneers on the health front and, more readily than men, they eat healthily, refrain from the use of intoxicants and practise sports. Women smoke as much as in the past, however. Health education that aims at reducing smoking and the use of alcohol and intoxicants should pay more attention to women's special needs. Girls' and women's smoking habit should be combated particularly vigorously in projects launched to promote health and support families. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)Preventing health risks related to personal habits is not a simple matter. Long-term favourable results might be achieved if day-care centres, schools, the army, sports education and working life would instil in men a frame of mind less bent on recognition and success and more keen on caring for themselves and others. Projects by these institutions to promote healthier habits among men and boys should receive adequate support. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour)
12.2. Promoting health
The state budget includes an allocation for the promotion of health. It is used to reduce smoking, prevent and lessen the use of intoxicants, promote a healthy diet and exercise, good mental health and reproductive health, encourage relationships that promote health in general, prevent accidents, prevent marginalisation, and carry out regional and national health campaigns. Funds are also granted for the monitoring of health behaviour, in practice to a few major health studies conducted in different parts of Finland. The studies encompass youngsters, adults and elderly citizens. In 1996 some 150 projects were financed by public funds. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.3. Promoting reproductive health and well-beingReproductive health and well-being are promoted by intensifying youngsters' human relations education and sex education, including sex counselling in social welfare and health care services, developing family planning, preventing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and alleviating the negative social and health effects of commercialised sex. A centre in central Finland specialised in family planning is financed by the funds budgeted for the promotion of health. The allocation is also used to support research in the abovementioned areas of concern, train key groups and produce material for target groups. An ongoing project is the circular dealing with youngsters' sexuality and sent to all young people turning 16 and to their parents. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.4. Continuing cancer screeningCancer screening and campaigns have cut the morbidity and mortality rates for breast and cervical cancer in Finland. These efforts should be continued and preferably intensified, and co-operation should be undertaken with NGOs for example within the framework of the Mama programme. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.5. Developing the health service of MCH centres and schools
An extensive network of maternity and child health centres and good school health services promote equality between women and men. The national plan for the organisation of social welfare and health care services warns against cuts that target health education, family planning and services and counselling designed for parents. In 1997 the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will start a project for the development of health services for children and families; it will include a recommendation that MCH centres start promoting fatherhood and supporting fathers in their tasks. Stakes is presently working on the School Health 2002 project with universities, research institutions, provincial governments and health care organisations in an effort to address the health concerns of schoolchildren and schools. The project will also highlight the differences between girls' and boys' health behaviour and problems. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.6. The relationship between occupational health and safety and equalityIn 1997 the Finnish Institute for Occupational Health will report on how a gender perspective has been integrated into occupational health and safety. Several issues, such as working conditions, health and age, will be looked at in addition to gender. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
Efforts are made to maintain and improve the health and working ability of all employees, although the focus is on the working ability of the aging workforce, especially women. The objective is to prevent disability and early retirement through measures taken at the workplace and by occupational health and safety services. The workplace has had a more important role since the compensation reform that entered into force in the beginning of 1995 and following the Institute of Occupational Health's comprehensive two-year training project to maintain working ability. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
Occupational safety and health must not be forgotten as part-time work and telework become more common. Special attention must be paid to the timely rehabilitation of aging female employees. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.7. Examining the state of mental health servicesAfter ailments of the locomotor system and circulatory system, mental health problems are the most frequent reason for granting disability pension. Women voice such problems more often than men. The number of psychiatric hospital beds in Finland has dwindled to about a third of the 1980 level, and it has been halved in the past five years. Patients have started receiving non-institutional care, which does not always provide sufficient coverage.
In 1996 the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health appointed a person to investigate the state of mental health services and the organisation of patient care and rehabilitation. On the basis of the report "A Fulfilling Life", the Ministry has decided on several measures related to mental patients' socio-economic status, improving their housing conditions, promoting physical exercise, securing care, as well as training and relieving the stress of hospital staff. (Ministry in charge: Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.8. Improving the patient's status
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has followed the implementation and consequences of the Act on a Patient's Status and Rights, which entered into force in 1993. Several studies show that some patients are dissatisfied with the information they obtain and with the extent to which they can influence their own treatment. Women especially feel that they receive too little information on their health. For example women giving birth would like to have a greater say in decisions concerning them. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will set up in the beginning of 1997 a working party to look into issues related to a patient's status and recommend appropriate measures. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
12.9. Preventing female genital mutilationThe Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Division for Migration of the Ministry of Labour will step up their efforts to inform refugees about the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and about the health risks of female genital mutilation. A public health brochure designed for refugee patients will appear in the beginning of 1997. In this connection social welfare and public health employees will be instructed how to prevent female genital mutilation. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
13. PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN13.1. International initiatives
According to a declaration adopted at the General Assembly in 1993, the term "violence against women" means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.
As defined at the Beijing Conference violence against women also refers to prenatal sex selection, forced sterilisation, the sales of young girls into prostitution and the systematic rape of women in situations of armed conflict. Immigrant and refugee women are considered particularly vulnerable to violence.
The Beijing Platform of Action further states that violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace. Violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms. The long-standing failure to protect and promote these rights and freedoms in the case of violence against women is a matter of concern to all States and should be addressed.
Governments and other actors are exhorted to unanimously condemn violence and take the following integrated measures to prevent and eliminate it:
- compiling gender-disaggregated statistics as a means of raising awareness of violence against women,
- organising information and educational campaigns,
- reforming domestic legislation to condemn violence,
- improving a victim's status,
- prosecuting offenders,
- training authorities, prosecutors, public health and shelter staffs to recognise violence and take the necessary measures,
- developing services for the victims and perpetrators of violence,
- drafting national action plans and allocating adequate resources within the government budget
- recognising Governments' responsibility in preventing violence and
- relying on international co-operation.
13.2. The extent of violence and related ill-effects and costsAny national strategy for preventing violence against women must be based on accurate information concerning the extent of violence, its forms, related ill-effects and costs and the available services and need to develop them.
No data exists so far on the prevalence of violence in Finland. On the average one woman every two weeks dies at the hands of her violent husband, partner or male friend. The police records about 400 rapes a year, although the actual figure is probably closer to 6,000-10,000. Studies show that about 40,000 to 60,000 women are the victims of domestic violence each year.
In co-operation with Statistics Finland, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has started exploiting existing documents on criminality and family life to compile basic statistics on violence against women. The statistics will be ready in 1997. The anti-violence project soon to be launched will inquire into the need to produce regular information. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Subproject of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Preventing Violence)
The extent of violence against women will be assessed through an interview of victims, to be undertaken by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Statistics Finland during 1997. The data will be available at the beginning of 1998. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Interviewing Female Victims of Violence)
Some countries and international organisations have tried to determine the price of violence. In Australia, for example, the total costs of domestic violence were estimated at over FIM 100,000 per woman; for the entirety of New South Wales, the costs arising from domestic violence amounted to nearly FIM 4 billion a year. Costs here refer to women's health care, shelter and legal aid expenses and to lost earnings. The report stressed that costs are much higher if one counts factors affecting quality of life, such as the detrimental effect of violence on children, victims' spiritual resources, control over their lives and health.
The World Bank has calculated that the care of a battered and raped woman annually costs about two and a half times more than that of women in general.
In Finland too it is time to evaluate the costs and other ill-effects of violence against women. This should also include indirect and non-material costs. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will report on the matter in 1997 partly on the basis of the victims study. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Subproject of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Preventing Violence)
13.3. Reforming legislationA government proposal on reforming criminal proceedings in order to improve the victim's status is presently before Parliament. According to the proposal, the complainant in sexual offences and certain violent offences would have the right to engage a trial counsel or assistant - whose fees are paid out of government funds - both for the pre-trial investigation and the trial.
In sexual offences, it is important that the victim can be heard without the presence of the accused. The Ministry of Justice plans to reform the procedure once the Council of Europe has given its recommendation regarding the protection and defence of witnesses. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice is preparing a proposal for the reform of sexual offences legislation and for a restraining order act. The restraining order should permit the person protected by the order to receive help already if the person on whom the order is imposed is seen in an off-limits area. The restraining order can be enforced with the help of safety devices and alarms. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Justice)
Providing information and training, monitoring and evaluating implementation - these are an inherent part of any legislative reform. Professional counsellors and the public need to be informed of any changes. Training and information should utilise the experiences of the police, prosecutors, legal counsels and judges used to dealing with crisis situations. It is also necessary to follow up implementation of the partial reform of the Penal Code that entered into force in 1995. After the reform most domestic violence - formerly a complainant offence - became subject to public prosecution. How has this affected practice? It seems that in the majority of cases the prosecutor decides to waive charges, despite the fact that conciliation does not always succeed in eradicating violence. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Justice)
13.4. Developing the service systemThe victims of violence do not always receive sufficient and adequate help. To remedy this situation, basic health care has been supplemented with services specialised in the treatment of victims and abusers.
The first mother and child homes and shelters were opened in 1979; at present they number 30 to 40. The Tukinainen crisis centre for rape victims is the first of its kind in Finland. A few general hospitals and health centres have implemented the Ansa project, which trains public health employees in assisting the victims of violence. The Old Folks project targets violence against the elderly. Nonetheless there continues to be a lack of special groups, led by professional counsellors, for the victims and perpetrators of violence. A few projects such as the No Knocks, Jussi and, in Jyväskylä, the Mobile project have been launched to help men refrain from the use of violence. Other initiatives have been taken regionally and locally. The anti-violence division of the Council for Equality has also made several proposals and acted as a joint committee for authorities and organisations.
The following ministries are responsible for fighting violence against women: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health sees to social welfare and health care services, the Ministry of the Interior to police matters, the Ministry of Justice to the preparation of criminal legislation and jurisdiction and the Ministry of Education to education and training. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is the best placed to handle co-operation between the different authorities.
The national plan for social welfare and health care in 1997-2000, approved by the Council of State in September 1996, is designed to prevent violence against women, children and the elderly and develop new work and treatment methods. The agreements on result plans for 1997 concluded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the provinces also provide for the organisation of anti-violence work at regional level.
The social welfare and health office of each municipality is responsible for the local prevention of violence against women and the treatment of victims and perpetrators. Emergency help can be given by the police, health centres, emergency social services and shelters. Municipalities have found it necessary to establish crisis groups for the female victims of violence and male perpetrators wishing to be treated. Those trying to free themselves from a violent relationship also need support. Above all, it must be possible to reach persons in distress and direct them to the appropriate authority. With this in mind, an emergency service has been created for the victims of crime. Less frequently needed services requiring specially qualified personnel, such as therapy for persons in a violent relationship and for the victims of sexual violence, could be provided at regional level.
13.5. Dealing with the violence theme in vocational trainingThe ongoing efforts to stop bullying at school also target future problems by putting a stop to harmful patterns of behaviour before the bully or the victim of bullying establishes a family or enters working life. Teachers, school psychologists and school welfare officers should be able to detect the problems of children from violence-ridden families and provide them with the necessary support and help. Educational authorities must make sure that violence, its prevention and the treatment of victims and abusers are discussed in the training of police officers, doctors, teachers, lawyers, social workers, public health nurses and home helpers. All authorities coming face to face with violence need proper information and training and they should be able to co-operate with each other in these matters. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Education)
There is an especially acute demand for professional counsellors. They should learn to discern violence and find adequate solutions for individual situations. Although the training scheme for police officers already deals with human rights and violence against women, further training provides a deeper insight into these issues. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior)
13.6. Police measures to combat violence against women
Ways to combat violence against women are part of police training. In addition, emergency services for the victims of violence and conciliation procedures could be integrated into police operations and the police could start providing victims with information about the compensation and legal counsel systems, both of which are financed by public funds. The perpetrator of violence would in turn be requested to seek help and treatment.
Co-operation groups will be established in provinces to promote co-operation between the police and other authorities in preventing violence against women. Domestic violence and violence against women as well as related police measures will become the target of more detailed statistics and a more sophisticated follow-up system. This will help reinforce police action and lift the veil from violence and its prevalence. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of the Interior) (Project/the Ministry of the Interior: Developing Statistics on Domestic Violence)
13.7. Research, experiments and working methodsThe research division of the Council for Equality drafted in 1994 a research programme concerned with gender-based violence, to be revised in 1997. The Council for Equality has proposed that the programme be approved as a research programme of the Academy of Finland, which would open the way to public funding.
Basic research must be complemented by practical research, including experiments relating for example to various forms of co-operation and new working methods. It might also be useful to monitor the processing by different authorities of individual incidents of violence. Researched information can be used when developing services, training professional counsellors and raising public awareness.
13.8. Public information and education campaignsViolence against women remains taboo in Finnish society. People prefer not to discuss the matter or seek outside help. Anti-violence campaigns have helped change this situation in many countries, however. A few years ago in Sweden, a campaign called "Dare to see, dare to ask" targeted social welfare and public health employees; in Holland a campaign was launched against violence perpetrated by young men; a few other countries have implemented the "Zero tolerance" campaign against all forms of violence.
The Finnish Government, too, plans to realise anti-violence campaigns in co-operation with NGOs. A national campaign might be boosted by a local campaign or a campaign aimed at a particular target group.
13.9. Commercialised sex, prostitution and trafficking in wivesCommercialised sex, prostitution and trafficking in women - more particularly wives - have become increasingly visible and widespread in Finland in recent years, causing much discussion. In 1993 the Council for Equality mandated a Working Party on the Sex Industry to start investigating the matter. The Sex Business Committee set up by the Ministry of Justice in 1994 gave its final report in 1995. The Ministry of Justice is now preparing amendments to legislation on sexual crimes; they will be the subject of a government proposal to Parliament early in 1997.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has circulated for comment the report "When Everything is for Sale" written by STAKES' expert team on prostitution, and further measures are likely once the comments of the different parties have been received. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)
The Finnish Government finds the phenomenon of so-called mail-order wives ethically unacceptable. It needs to be addressed as a human rights issue. For this purpose a working party will be set up to detect and uproot problems and propose legislative measures, educational programmes and other solutions. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Justice) (Project/the Ministry of Justice: Report on Trafficking in Women)
Concerted international action, including the exchange of information, will be taken by police and other authorities with a view to preventing trafficking in women, prostitution and related illegal immigration. According to the proposal of the Ministry of Justice's Sex Business Committee, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Trade and Industry are preparing an educational programme to reduce the ill-effects of sex tourism. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Trade and Industry)
In its directions for applying the Equality Act, the Ministry of Labour has stated that labour administration must not actively advertise sex industry jobs. Employment offices may mention such a vacancy only to a person seeking this type of work. If there is a risk that the employee will be induced to become a prostitute, the office may not advertise the job. The rule observed when issuing work permits to foreign striptease artists and performing artists in general is that work permits are granted only to skilled workforce performing specialised work. In any case, work permits are never issued for private striptease performances. The number of work permits issued for certain venues is also controlled. Owing to close co-operation among different authorities (jobcentres, Labour Protection Districts and the police), it has been possible to control more efficiently the business activities of restaurants commercialising sex.
The Committee on Refugee and Immigrant Affairs operating within the Ministry of Labour has mandated a working party to examine immigrant women's status in Finland. The focus will be on unemployment, discrimination, the risk of marginalisation, the preservation of the women's native culture, violence directed against women and the illegal importation of women. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Labour) (Project/the Ministry of Labour: Immigrant Women's Status in Finland)
13.10. Project for preventing violence against womenThe Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is planning a national project for the prevention of domestic violence and violence against women. A national strategy will be outlined on this occasion. The project itself or a related subproject will focus on the prevention of commercialised sex, prostitution and trafficking in wives. The project will be prepared in co-operation with all the authorities and organisations dealing with the prevention of violence. Co-operation will be organised in central administration as well as regionally and locally. The project will help define the duties of authorities and other actors in the prevention of violence. Recommendations will be issued and programmes drafted to improve service systems. The project should be seen against the background of existing pilot projects and working methods and as the driving force behind eventual new experiments.
The training of professional counsellors will be co-ordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as well as relevant authorities and organisations. This will include the training of various tutors and leaders and the production of teaching material.
A research programme will be carried out as part of the project. It will provide information on the frequency of violence against women and domestic violence, their manifestations, ill-effects and costs.
Campaigns will be launched to inform the public about the project, which will cover a five-year period running from 1997 to 2001. A national management team as well as a director and other staff will be chosen to lead and implement the project. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for securing the necessary resources. (Ministry in charge: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (Project/the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Project for Preventing Violence against Women)
14. MONITORING AND REVISING THE EQUALITY PROGRAMMEThe Finnish Government will be presented with a proposal for revising the Equality Programme and with follow-up reports on its implementation by the end of February 1998 and 1999. Follow-up and revisions will be carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and NGOs will be heard in the process.
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