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22.7.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo presented Finland’s third Voluntary National Review at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York on Tuesday 22 July. Speech to be checked against delivery.

13.1.2022 | The number of parental leave days will increase and there will be more flexibility for parents to take leave. The reform aims to increase equality in working life and between parents and to take better account of different types of families. The new types of parental leave will mainly apply to families where the child’s estimated date of birth is 4 September 2022 or later.   

16.2.2021 | The Government has completed and published its draft proposal for the family leave reform. The draft proposal will be circulated for comments between 19 February and 2 April 2021. 

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.

5.2.2020 | The reform of parental allowances has created a model for further preparation. The model guarantees the child a place at the centre of family benefits and promotes wellbeing and gender equality, says Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, Minister of Social Affairs and Health.

21.2.2023 | Oikeustieteen maisteri Emilia Laaksonen on palannut vanhempainvapaalta sisäministeri Krista Mikkosen erityisavustajaksi maanantaina 20.2.2023. 

28.2.2023 | On Tuesday 28 February, the President of the Republic reappointed Member of Parliament Antti Kaikkonen to serve as Minister of Defence. The President also released Mikko Savola from his duties as Minister of Defence and as a member of the Government.

29.4.2025 | FINNISH GOVERNMENT PO Box 23, FI-00023 Government, Finland vn.fi/en Tel. +358 295 16001 VALTIONEUVOSTO PL 23, 00023 Valtioneuvosto vn.fi p. 0295 16001 1(11) Government discussions on the General Government Fiscal Plan 22–23 April 2025 Entries in t...

14.12.2021 | A tripartite working group prepared a number of legislative amendments for the implementation of the Work-life Balance Directive and the Finnish family leave reform. In addition, the group compared the current labour legislation with the Government’s objectives to improve gender equality at work and in families.

8.1.2020 | A new calculator has been published for people who are planning to use family leave. With the calculator, they can assess how family leave periods of different lengths would affect their future pension and compare their pension accrual during family leave with what they would earn as pension if they worked the same period. The calculator, provided by the Finnish Centre for Pensions, is part of a project promoting gender equality in pensions.

7.6.2022 | Speech to Parliament presenting the 2021 Government Annual Report for referral debate on Tuesday 7 June at 14.00

14.1.2021 | On Thursday 14 January, the Government appointed Henrik Haapajärvi to serve as State Secretary to Prime Minister Sanna Marin from 18 January 2021 onwards. The State Secretary’s term ends with that of the minister.

5.11.2020 | Minister Thomas Blomqvist attended a video meeting of Nordic ministers for gender equality on 5 November 2020. The main topics of the meeting were the theme of fatherhood and care and advancing it during Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. 

18.12.2020 | The Government and central labour market organisations have negotiated joint equal pay measures for the period 2020–2023. The Equal Pay Programme aims to reduce the average pay gap between women and men. The aims would be achieved through agreement and pay policies, development of pay systems, harmonising work and family life, and reducing gender segregation in working life.

24.1.2020 | A tripartite working group appointed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment started its work on 24 January 2020. The working group will prepare the amendments to Finnish labour legislation required by the EU’s Work-life Balance Directive. Carers’ entitlement to five days of leave included in the Directive requires amendments to the Employment Contracts Act.

20.12.2019 | The start of 2020 will see the entry into force of amendments to acts and decrees related to the police, immigration and rescue services. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes.

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28.8.2023 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of about EUR 16.15 billion for the Ministry and its administrative branch for 2024. This is about EUR 0.4 billion more than in the 2023 Budget. The increase is mainly due to changes in the needs assessment.

20.1.2023 | After a COVID-induced hiatus, the Educa Fair is being held once again at Messukeskus Helsinki on 27–28 January. The Ministry of Education and Culture’s stand can be found in area 6n60. Minister of Education Li Andersson, Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen and Permanent Secretary Anita Lehikoinen will be visiting the Ministry's stand on both days of the fair.

19.1.2023 | In November and December, E2 Research conducted a review of what Ukrainians who have fled to Finland think about their life and what kind of plans they have. This was done to deepen and update the information obtained from the report compiled by the Ministry of the Interior in the summer.