The Greens of Uusimaa call for the accessibility and guarantee of sufficient shelters and support structures for domestic and sexual violence victims despite the socioeconomic situation of the victim, and the ongoing health, social services and regional government reform.
The following include:
- Sufficient amount of women’s shelters and support services
- Low-threshold rape and crisis centres, including a 24h- crisis hotline
- Adequate services for LGBTIQ-minorities
- Multilingual and physically accessible services
Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, international and national organisations worldwide gather to defend women’s rights, their freedom, and their basic right to a life free from violence. The Greens’ stance on equality questions can be found in the party’s equality paper, which follows the lines of the constitutional law and the Universal declaration of human rights.
Equality is Finland is long overdue. Finland ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence on August 1st, 2015. The government is still, however, severely struggling to meet the demands of the so-called Istanbul convention. According to the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in 2015, at least 1200 persons seeking help were left without the possibility to access a shelter, due to the lack of resources.
Shelters and support services must cater equally to disabled women, LGBTIQ-persons, migrant women as well as aging women in need. Often, women arriving from conflict areas need specific services and care to overcome trauma and the violence they have been submitted to. Healthcare professionals must thus be trained accordingly, in order to provide quality care for the asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented persons in need. Nationwide discrepancies in service accessibility must be minimized.
Equity and equality in services can only be achieved by nominating a variety of candidates for the upcoming elections, and electing them to the democratic arenas of decision-making. We call for municipal and regional policy makers, who have experience, understanding and courage to stand up for women’s rights. Sufficient standards of funding, quality and accessibility of the services must be met. Eradicating violence against women and investing in adequate support services is above all, a matter of principle.
For more information:
Annika Ojala
Greens of Uusimaa, intern
annika.ojala_at_vihreat.fi
046 611 0964
Tiia Lintula
Greens of Uusimaa, president
tiia.lintula_at_vihreat.fi