Equal opportunities for men and women
The promotion of equality has long been a key goal of EU activities. Section 16 of the Commission Regulation states that the Commission and member states must ensure the promotion of equality between men and women, and the consideration of gender-related aspects, during the various phases of fund implementation. It also states that the Commission and member states must perform the necessary actions to prevent discrimination on the basis of gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or faith, disability, age, or sexual orientation during the various phases of Structural Fund activities.
Promoting equality between the sexes and various population groups, etc. is one of the fundamental principles of the Nordic welfare society. Equitable treatment of Finnish citizens is the principle underlying all activities, with new methods for promoting equality constantly being sought with regard to various activities within society. Although Finland can be considered a rather advanced country in terms of equality, its key problem remains the disparity between men and women’s wages, particularly the temporary employment of women, as well as the low proportion of women in executive positions in the private and public sectors.
Promotion of equality has long been a criterion in the approval of Structural Fund activities. Furthermore, various themed projects promoting equality, including a scheme supporting female entrepreneurs, have been completed. In Finland, female entrepreneurs are supported through the Loan for Women Entrepreneurs, a type of loan provided by the state-owned financing specialist, Finnvera Oyj. Under this arrangement, small businesses headed by women, or ones in which women are majority shareholders, can obtain the Loan for Women Entrepreneurs on reasonable terms, for launching or expanding their business operations. This funding is complemented by counselling, consulting and mentoring services aimed at women. These actions are taken to lower the threshold for women who wish to launch and develop businesses in Finland.
The strategy promotes female entrepreneurship and the creation of jobs for women, particularly in male workplace-dominated regions. It also advances the diversification of men’s and women’s occupational structures, equality measures in working communities, and achieving a balance between work and family life. The key goal is to ensure the employment of both men and women, in order to guarantee a good living environment while maintaining and increasing the attractiveness of regions. Equal opportunities for participation must be taken into account during strategy implementation, when programmes are implemented and monitored in practice.
Particular attention should be paid to the creation of structures promoting the mainstreaming of equality and the development of expertise, by means of supporting opportunities for authorities and project implementers to realise the dual strategy for equality promotion via Structural Fund programmes.
Lähetä RR-linkki -toiminnon avulla voit lisätä tärkeimmän RR-sisältösi selaimesi kirjanmerkkeihin tai lähettää sen sähköpostitse haluamillesi vastaanottajille. Voit myös jakaa haluamasi sisällön verkostoillesi yleisimmissä yhteisöpalveluissa. Nämä palvelut ovat yleensä maksuttomia, mutta ne vaativat rekisteröitymisen.