Suomen Akateemisten Naisten Liitto – Finlands Kvinnliga Akademikers Förbund – Finnish Federation of Graduate Women (https://akateemisetnaiset.fi/
Finnish Federation of Graduate Women is a non-governmental organization for female university graduates residing in Finland. We have promoted gender equality in higher education and work life since 1922. We are an active partner of our 65 sister associations and federations across the globe. Our advocacy work includes international projects and seminars with researchers and politicians. We encourage women to reach their full potential and to co-operate with different professional fields.
In Finland, we have 19 local branches which organize annually over 200 events, such as cultural events, lectures, election panels and visits to companies. We also govern two national immigration projects Auroras (https://auroras.fi/en/) and Let’s Read Together (https://luetaanyhdessa.fi/
Gender equality in Finland
Nordic countries are often praised for their gender equality policies but there is still a lot of work to be done before we can call our countries truly equal. This is especially the case in Finland.
On average, women in Finland are more educated than men. Yet, women are still paid less than men. In 2018, the average earnings of women were 84 percent of the amount earned by men throughout the labour market. The pay gap also affects pensions. Women’s average pension in Finland is only 78 percent of their male counterparts’ pension. The situation is even worse for the women with immigrant background.
One reason behind the pay gap is the labour market’s strong gender-based segregation. Equal occupations are professions in which both men and women hold at least 40 percent of the jobs. In 2017, only 8.9 percent of wage earners worked in equal professions.
The gender-based segregation begins already at school. Boys complete more elective studies in mathematics and natural sciences during the upper grades of comprehensive school, while girls study more and a greater variety of foreign languages than boy.
Finnish labour market is also affected by vertical segregation. In 2019, women accounted for six percent of the chairpersons of boards of directors while nine percent of CEOs were women. Equal gender distribution on the boards of Finnish public limited companies has not been promoted by means of legislation.
For more information on gender equality in Finland, please visit: https://thl.fi/en/web/
.Suomen Akateemisten Naisten Liitto Team
Strategy group 2020
Baltic sea seminar 2019