Equality and gender equality in Finland: the ban on discrimination explained

Quick answers

What does equality (yhdenvertaisuus) mean?

Everyone is equal before the law. No one may be treated worse without an acceptable reason, for example because of age, origin, language, religion or disability.

What is the difference between yhdenvertaisuus and tasa-arvo?

Yhdenvertaisuus covers all people and all grounds of discrimination. Tasa-arvo here means equality between women and men, which is regulated in the Equality Act.

Where can you get help if you face discrimination?

From the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, and in cases of discrimination based on sex from the Ombudsman for Equality. In working life also from the occupational safety and health authority. Racist crimes are reported to the police.

When did Finnish women get the right to vote?

In 1906. At the same time women got the right to stand as candidates. In the 1907 elections, 19 women were elected to Parliament.

Equality and gender equality are topics of the Finnish citizenship test (kansalaisuuskoe). This chapter explains what discrimination is, why it is banned and how gender equality shows at work and at home. The text is based on public sources. We will update it when Migri publishes its official study material.

What do equality and gender equality mean?

Under section 6 of the Constitution of Finland (perustuslaki), everyone is equal before the law. No one may be treated differently without an acceptable reason, for example because of sex, age, origin, language, religion or disability. This is called equality (yhdenvertaisuus). Public authorities must safeguard basic and human rights, so authorities must promote equality in their own work.

Here gender equality (tasa-arvo) means equality between women and men. Under the Constitution, gender equality is promoted in society and working life, especially in pay.

Two laws are important:

• the Non-Discrimination Act (yhdenvertaisuuslaki, 1325/2014) bans discrimination, for example because of age, origin or religion
• the Equality Act (tasa-arvolaki, 609/1986) bans discrimination because of sex.

On which grounds is discrimination banned?

Under section 8 of the Non-Discrimination Act, no one may be discriminated against on the basis of age, origin, nationality, language, religion, belief, opinion, political activity, trade union activity, family relationships, state of health, disability, sexual orientation or any other reason related to the person.

Discrimination is banned even when based on an assumption. The act covers authorities, schools, employers and businesses, but not private and family life or the practice of religion.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination (syrjintä) means treating someone worse for a reason related to them as a person. It has five forms: direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment (häirintä), denying reasonable accommodation to a disabled person, and an instruction or order to discriminate.

InfoFinland gives two examples. A landlord requires the tenant to be a Finnish citizen. An employer requires perfect Finnish even though the job does not need it.

Different treatment is allowed if it has an acceptable aim and the means are proportionate. No one may be punished for relying on their rights (the ban on victimisation).

What does the Equality Act say about working life?

An employer may not pay someone less for the same or equal work because of their sex. That is pay discrimination (palkkasyrjintä). An employer may not put anyone at a disadvantage because of pregnancy, childbirth or parenthood.

If a workplace regularly has at least 30 employees, the employer must make an equality plan (tasa-arvosuunnitelma) and a pay survey at least every other year. If you suspect pay discrimination, your employer must explain the grounds for your pay.

Sexual harassment and harassment based on sex are discrimination. The employer must act against harassment when it learns about it.

Authorities must promote gender equality. Bodies of the state, the wellbeing services counties and the municipalities must have at least 40 percent women and at least 40 percent men. The rule does not apply to municipal councils or county councils (aluevaltuustot).

Why is 1906 important?

In 1906 Finland got a single-chamber Parliament (eduskunta). The right to vote became universal and equal for everyone aged 24 or over, both men and women. Finnish women were among the first in the world to get both the right to vote and eligibility (vaalikelpoisuus), which means the right to stand as a candidate.

In the first parliamentary elections in March 1907, 19 women were elected. According to the Parliament of Finland, they can be seen as the first women MPs in the world.

How does gender equality show in the family?

Under the Marriage Act (avioliittolaki), spouses are equal. Women and men decide for themselves whom they marry. A woman does not need anyone’s permission to work or study. Either spouse can file for divorce, even if the other does not agree.

Kela pays parental allowance: 160 working days for each parent, and a parent can transfer at most 63 of their own days to the other. Both parents are expected to share childcare and housework.

A child may not be physically punished, and under the Constitution children must be treated equally.

Two people of the same sex can marry. The amendment to the Marriage Act entered into force on 1 March 2017.

What is always forbidden?

Violence is a crime in Finland, also in the family and in a relationship. Sexual violence is a crime also within marriage. The family’s honour is not an acceptable reason for threats or violence.

A person under 18 may not marry. Forcing someone into marriage is a crime, and a forced marriage (pakkoavioliitto) must be annulled. Female genital mutilation is a crime, and since the start of 2025 the Criminal Code has a separate section on it.

Where can you get help with discrimination or violence?

• The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman (yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu) gives free advice on discrimination, for example because of origin, language or religion.
• The Ombudsman for Equality (tasa-arvovaltuutettu) gives advice on discrimination because of sex.
• The occupational safety and health authority supervises discrimination in working life.
• Crimes are reported to the police. Emergency number: 112.
• Nollalinja helps people who have experienced domestic violence (lähisuhdeväkivalta) on 080 005 005, every day and at any time.

A person who has been discriminated against can claim compensation in a district court within two years of the discrimination. Under the Non-Discrimination Act, the time limit in recruitment is one year from when the applicant learned about the hiring decision.

What to know from this chapter

• Section 6 of the Constitution: everyone is equal before the law.
• The grounds of discrimination in the Non-Discrimination Act and the five forms of discrimination.
• The Equality Act: pay discrimination, pregnancy, equality plan at 30 employees.
• Who helps: the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Equality.
• 1906 women’s right to vote and stand as candidates, 19 women elected in 1907.
• Domestic violence, hitting children, forced marriage and mutilation are crimes.

Practise chapter 6

Test yourself with the questions for chapter 6. Some are open, the rest are part of the course. The questions are in Finnish, like the test. We wrote them for practice; they are not questions from Migri’s test. Read the explanation after each answer so you remember better.

Difficult words in this chapter

yhdenvertaisuus

equality: all people are of equal worth, and no one may be treated worse for a reason related to them as a person

syrjintä

discrimination: treating someone worse than others, for example because of age, origin or religion, without an acceptable reason

häirintä

harassment: behaviour that violates a person's dignity and creates a threatening, hostile or humiliating atmosphere

yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu

the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, an independent authority that advises and helps people who have faced discrimination, free of charge

tasa-arvo

gender equality: women and men have the same rights and opportunities

palkkasyrjintä

pay discrimination: being paid less for the same or equal work because of sex

tasa-arvovaltuutettu

the Ombudsman for Equality, an authority that supervises compliance with the Equality Act

lähisuhdeväkivalta

domestic violence: violence in the family or a relationship, for example hitting, threats or sexual violence