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Gender Equality Act promotes gender equality and prohibits gender-based discrimination In Finland, the Act on Equality between Women and Men, or the Gender Equality Act, lays down obligations to promote gender equality. The Ministry of Social Affa...

12.9.2024 | Discrimination on grounds of pregnancy is widespread in working life, according to a report commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health from Statistics Finland. One in four pregnant people experience pregnancy discrimination in Finland.

The 11th annual Gender Equality Days (Tasa-arvopäivät) were organised on 8-9 October 2025 at the Clarion Hotel Aviapolis in Vantaa. 

Gender Equality in working life Equality in working life must be promoted particularly in pay, working conditions, terms of employment, recruitment, career development, and reconciliation of work and family life. The Gender Equality Act obliges em...

Gender mainstreaming Gender mainstreaming is a strategy for promoting gender equality, and it means that the gender perspective is taken into account in all decision-making. The Gender Equality Unit of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health coo...

Prevention of human trafficking The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health aims to prevent social problems caused by trafficking in human beings and to identify and help victims. The Ministry’s responsibilities include ensuring that victims of traf...

Immigrants' social security, welfare and health The MSAH is responsible for matters concerning the welfare and health of immigrants living in Finland. The Ministry deals with the basic security of immigrants, essential social and health services i...

International cooperation on gender equality European Union Gender equality is promoted in the EU using legislation and gender equality policies. The promotion of equality between men and women and the elimination of discrimination are among the E...

Reform encourages both parents to take family leave The Family leave reform entered into force on 1 August 2022. The number of parental leave days will increase and there will be more flexibility for parents to take leave. The reform aims to incre...

Disability policy promotes equality Disability policy is made up of society’s actions and policies that ensure equal opportunities, rights and services in Finland for persons with disabilities. What are the principles of Finland’s disability polic...

fi sv en National Mental Health Strategy 2020-2030 The National Mental Health Strategy and Suicide Prevention Agenda 2020–2030 are based on long-term preparations and broad-based collaboration. The starting point is the comprehensive approach of m...

Register and information system descriptions When the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health processes personal data in the Government’s shared information systems , the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Prime Minister’s Office are join...

Services and support for people with disabilities Persons with disabilities have the right to equality, inclusion, self-determination, independent living, non-discrimination and the necessary individual services and support. The principle is that ...

NAPE – Committee for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence The Committee for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (NAPE) is responsible for the coordination,monitoring and evaluation of the measures required unde...

International and EU affairs The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch engage in proactive international and EU cooperation that promotes health and social policy. As part of the Government, the Ministry is responsibl...

National Advisory Board on Romani Affairs The task of the Advisory Board on Romani Affairs is to enhance the equal participation of the Roma population in the Finnish society, to improve their living conditions and socio-economic position and to p...

Roma policy in Finland The overall objective of Finland’s National Roma Policy is to promote the inclusion, participation and equality of the Roma in different spheres of life. The policy programme is a comprehensive action plan, prepared in coope...

9.4.2026 | 1 ADI-ROM(2025)26 Restricted Strasbourg, 9 March 2026 COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON ROMA AND TRAVELLER1 ISSUES (ADI-ROM) 13th meeting Strasbourg, 1-2 April 2026 Explanatory Memorandum Recommendation to the member States on desegregation and inclusion po...

The mission of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is to safeguard people’s functional capacity, livelihoods and services so that we can live in a stable, equitable and sustainable society.

Romaniasiain neuvottelukunta (RONK) on perustettu vuonna 1956. Romaniasiain neuvottelukunnan tehtävänä on edistää romaniväestön tasavertaisia yhteiskunnallisia osallistumismahdollisuuksia sekä taloudellisia, sosiaalisia ja sivistyksellisiä elinolosuhteita. Se toimii Suomessa romanien ja viranomaisten välisenä yhteistyö- ja asiantuntijaelimenä.

18.2.2026 | 1 Joint conference statement Roma and Sinti Women in the Public Sphere: Turning Voices into Change 3 December 2025 I. Core values of equality and human rights We, the participants of the multi-country conference “Roma and Sinti Women in the Public...

4.11.2025 | The Second UN World Summit for Social Development will be organised on 4–6 2025 November in Doha, Qatar. The summit will strengthen the global commitment to social development. Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen will represent Finland at the summit.

Data Protection Contact information Data Protection Officer Data Protection Officer Lassi Kauttonen The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Department for Communities and Functional Capacity tietosuojavastaava.stm(at)gov.fi Controller The Minis...

8.10.2025 | Gender Equality Days is the main annual event in the field of gender equality in Finland, and this year it will be organised as part of the programme for Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the UN World Conference on Women in 1995.

6.6.2025 | ​​​​​​​The Baltic Pride Conference, taking place in Vilnius on 6 June, will discuss the inclusion and rights of LGBTI people. The event will be opened by State Secretary Laura Rissanen as part of Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

2.6.2023 | SUOMEN SÄÄDÖSKOKOELMAN SOPIMUS SARJA Julkaistu Helsingissä 31 päivänä toukokuuta 2016 (Suomen säädöskokoelman n:o 398/2016) Valtioneuvoston asetus 27/2016 vammaisten henkilöiden oikeuksista tehdyn yleissopimuksen ja sen valinnaisen pöytäkir- jan v...

24.6.2024 | Throughout the month of June, we are celebrating International Pride Month. The theme of Helsinki Pride this year is ‘Peace and Hope’. We all have the right to peace. We all have the right to hope. They have been selected as this year’s theme for a good reason.

8.2.2024 | 1 (4) Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Meritullinkatu 8, Helsinki | PO Box 33, FI-00023 Government, Finland +358 295 16001, stm.fi/en, @MSAH_News Privacy policy – Survey on discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy The Ministry of Social Aff...

6.9.2024 | 15 April 2024 Ministry of Social Affairs and Health policy on international and EU cooperation for 2024–2027 The policies of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on international and EU coopera- tion for 2024–2027 guide the Ministry and its a...

28.6.2024 | The Government and central labour market organisations have negotiated joint equal pay measures for the period 2024–2027. The aim of the Equal Pay Programme is to further reduce the gender pay gap. In addition to the measures set out in the Programme, there are other measures underway to reduce the pay gap.

3.10.2022 | Saturday night on 25 June got off to a good start in Oslo. It was the Pride Festival. It was the day before the Pride Parade.

9.2.2023 | The Government has adopted a resolution on Finland’s third National Roma Policy (ROMPO 3). The key objective of the National Roma Policy for 2023–2030 is to support Roma inclusion, participation and equality and to end discrimination by tackling antigypsyism.

3.5.2023 | An informal meeting of EU employment and social affairs ministers will take place in Stockholm on 3–4 May 2023 and an informal meeting of EU health ministers on 4–5 May 2023. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen and Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru will represent Finland at the meetings.

22.2.2022 | The ‘Gender impacts of collective agreements from the perspective of equal pay’ project, which is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, examines collective agreements from the perspective of gender equality. The research focuses particularly on the impact that collective agreements have on the achievement of equal pay.

27.11.2023 | The EU employment and social affairs ministers will meet in Brussels on 27–28 November to discuss, among other things, the European disability card. Other topics on the agenda include green collective bargaining, the EU action plan against racism, and social investment. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso will represent Finland at the meeting. 

3.1.2022 | On Tuesday, 30 November 2021, the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Ministry of Justice co-organised a seminar on the wellbeing and safety of LGBTI people as part of the programme for the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

14.12.2023 | The Government supports the Commission’s proposal to extend the scope of the proposal for a Directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities to include third-country nationals who are legally residing in the territory of an EU Member State. Today, the Government submitted a Union communication on the matter to Parliament.

4.12.2023 | GREVIO Ensimmäinen yleinen suositus naisiin kohdistuvan väkivallan digitaalisesta ulottuvuudesta hyväksytty 20. lokakuuta 2021 Naisiin kohdistuvan väkivallan ja perheväkivallan torjuntaa käsittelevä asiantuntijaryhmä (GREVIO) Euroopan neuvosto GRE...

2.6.2023 | FINLANDS FÖRFATTNINGSSAMLINGS FÖRDRAGSSERIE Utgiven i Helsingfors den 31 maj 2016 (Finlands författningssamlings nr 398/2016) Statsrådets förordning 27/2016 om sättande i kraft av konventionen om rättigheter för personer med funktionsnedsätt- ning...

4.9.2020 | In recent weeks, there has been discussion about whether a full communicable disease allowance should be paid to people who may have been exposed to coronavirus because of their own actions. This type of situation may occur, for example, when people travel to countries where the coronavirus situation is worse than in Finland or when people attend public events.  

17.9.2021 | The Government has completed its proposal for the family leave reform, and the proposal will now proceed to Parliament for consideration as decided by the Government on 16 September. The reform is scheduled to enter into force on 1 August 2022.

7.5.2020 | The Social Security Committee has started its first and perhaps most important task: defining the problems to be solved by the social security reform.

4.12.2017 | The Equality Act – Promoting gender equality and preventing discrimination The Equality Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity and gender expression and obliges to promote gender equality. The Equality Act applies as ...

6.3.2018 | All children have a right to protection, no matter whether they are born in Finland or somewhere else.

4.9.2023 | Työehtosopimusten sukupuolivaikutukset samapalkkaisuuden näkökulmasta -tutkimushanke SOSIAALI- JA TERVEYSMINISTERIÖN RAPORTTEJA JA MUISTIOITA 2023:35 Työehtosopimusten sukupuolivaikutukset samapalkkaisuuden näkökulmasta -tutkimushanke Kevät Nousia...

15.2.2021 | Press conference on family leave reform, 16 February 2021 Minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen Family leave reform 15.2.20211 | • Same amount of leave per each child, irrespective of the type of the family • Non-discrimination and equality would increase •...

Hallituksen esitys eduskunnalle laeiksi työttömyysturvalain ja eräiden muiden lakien muuttamisesta ESITYKSEN PÄÄASIALLINEN SISÄLTÖ Esityksessä ehdotetaan muutettavaksi työttömyysturvalakia, työttömyysturvalain muuttamisesta annettua lakia, työvoim...

29.5.2017 | Finland has made much progress in gender equality work. Our long history in promoting women's rights goes back to 1906 when Finland became the first country in the world to grant women full political rights.

6.3.2018 | 14o years of gender equality 1906 Finnish women attain full political rights Women’s organisations Suffragette Eligibility for election Right to vote Political rights Parliament Finland is a gender equality pioneer 1878 Equal hereditary rights for...

9.10.2020 | A People-centred Perspective on Employment Barriers and Policies FACES OF JOBLESSNESS IN FINLAND 2  This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of interna...

Regeringens proposition till riksdagen med förslag till lagar om ändring av lagen om utkomstskydd för arbetslösa och av vissa andra lagar PROPOSITIONENS HUVUDSAKLIGA INNEHÅLL I denna proposition föreslås det att lagen om utkomstskydd för arbetslös...

19.12.2018 | Nordic Future of Work Conference The Future of Work and new Forms of Work from the Global and the Nordic Perspectives Helsinki 1 Nordic Future of Work Conference I The Future of Work and new Forms of Work from the Global and the Nordic Perspective...

1.6.2018 | 1 Inkeri Tanhua Gender equality and Nordic welfare societies 2 Contents Gender equality and Nordic welfare societies Introduction.........................................................................................................................

10.12.2018 | Nordic Future of Work Conference The Future of Work and new Forms of Work from the Global and the Nordic Perspectives Helsinki 1 Nordic Future of Work Conference I The Future of Work and new Forms of Work from the Global and the Nordic Perspective...

19.12.2017 | Over the coming years, violence against women and threat of violence will be prevented through more than 40 measures. This work will be carried out in several administrative branches together with non-governmental organisations. The objectives will be achieved, for example, by developing cooperation, support services for victims and treatment programmes aimed at perpetrators as well as by collecting data and compiling statistics in a more effective manner.

19.12.2018 | Report from the side-event YOUNG NORDIC VOICES: how do I shape my future? Side-event during the session of the Nordic Council 30 October 2017, Helsinki Part of the Finnish priority project “Norden 2020” OCT OBE R 30#N O R D E N 20 20 INTRODUCTION ...

9.5.2022 | 1 Research plan / Tutkimussuunnitelma Evidencing the Effectiveness of Health Social Work Assessment and Interventions Terveyssosiaalityön arvioinnin ja intervention vaikuttavuus näkyväksi (Sostyö-TerVa) 1. Aim and objectives 1.1 Significance of re...

1.3.2023 | Selvitys ja tutkimustoiminta Utrednings- och forskningsverksamhet Sosiaaliset perus- ja ihmisoikeudet sosiaaliturva- uudistuksessa Toomas Kotkas, Anna-Kaisa Tuovinen, Eeva Nykänen, Laura Kalliomaa-Puha VA LT I O N E U V O S T O N S E LV I T Y S - ...