Short description: On our first day in Finland, we experienced a protest that was centered on International Women’s Day, but also weaved together different other movements, such as for peace regarding the Iran war, freeing the Palestinian people, and promoting Soviet ideals.
The impact: UN sustainable development goal 5, which promotes gender equality, is evident in this image of a rallying crowd. Unbeknownst to the viewer is that this rally was right across the street from the Finnish Parliament. Gender equality, and the vibrancy of the feminist movement (along with its access to government and visibility to the public), is a hallmark of Finnish culture, and is essential to Finland’s sustainable development. It represents how the Finnish government seeks to promote equality to encourage sustainability, and how an engaged civic society is essential to securing those rights and policies that ensure sustainable development, whether regarding the environment, education, or energy. In fact, Finland was the first European country to grant women the right to vote! (Goal 16- peace, justice, and strong institutions) What’re more is that the media center and the public library are in view, which represent the vibrancy of the public media in Finland and the accessibility to transparent forms of media, on top of the avenues to influencing political figures.
The idea of taking a stroll outside my hotel with some new friends and stumbling upon a rally filled with a potpourri of left wing ideals was amazing to me and it made me recognize just how important it is to have the freedom to assemble and to speak your mind, rights that I now view are under attack in the US. This personal retrospection literally gave me chills as I took in the brevity of the event and the powerful voice of the Finnish people.
Later, when talking to our tour guide, she noted how the pay gap in Finland was small and how Finland was two decades ahead of the US on feminist issues, including no fault divorce and the ability to open a credit card in your name. Additionally, she spoke to the fact that women make up almost half of everyone in Parliament, including many leaders, a revelation I noted when I also visited one of Parliament’s sessions and saw the leader of the Greens (a woman) speaking.
