Recommendations to Finland on elimination of discrimination against women

On 31 October 2022, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) gave Finland recommendations in relation to the eighth periodic report of Finland on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The Committee welcomes Finland’s progress in undertaking a number of legislative reforms. These include the amendment of chapter 20 of the Criminal Code, the family leave reform, the reform of the Gender Equality Act, and the establishment of a post for an independent rapporteur on violence against women. In addition, the Committee lists as positive aspects a number of institutional and political measures adopted by Finland. These include the Government Action Plan for Gender Equality, the Equal Pay Programme, the Action Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings, the Action Plan for Combating Violence against Women, and the establishment of a Committee for Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

The Committee gave Finland recommendations on the elimination of discrimination against women. The Committee will monitor the implementation of five recommendations in an expedited procedure: 

• gender-related hate speech; 
• repealing section 2 of the Act on Sterilisation; 
• mediation in cases of intimate partner violence and domestic violence; 
• representation of women on the candidate lists of political parties;  
• representation of women in decision-making positions in the Defence Forces. 

Finland must submit a report on the implementation of these recommendations to the Committee within two years.

The Committee gave Finland other recommendations, too. These were related to strengthening of gender equality by placing women at the centre of COVID-19 recovery strategies, equality impact assessment, system for promoting the position of women, harmful practices, combating violence against women, measures against human trafficking, and education, work life and pay equality.

The monitoring of the implementation of international human rights instruments is mainly based on periodic reports submitted by states. In these reports, each government presents the progress in the national implementation of the instruments.

The implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is monitored by the CEDAW Committee consisting of independent experts. Finland’s eighth periodic report was reviewed in a public session on 11 October 2022.

• The Committee’s recommendations are available on the website of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.