Back in October 2014 I reached Helsinki, Finland for the first time. When we started looking for a taxi outside the airport, we were greeted by a tall Finnish lady taxi driver ready to take us home. She reminded me of Revathy Roy, who had started a women's taxi service in Mumbai. However the case of female drivers in Finland was different. They were everywhere! Driving taxis, big buses, garbage trucks, cars, bicycles and not to forget trains :) I myself being such an aweful driver, my eyes are full of respect when I see a lady driving effortlessly!
Being an active member of the women's circle in my organization, studying the work life of a Finnish women then became a curious case for me. I found that a large number of Finnish women are working, the workplace gender ratio is almost 50-50. May be the population itself is so less, everyone has to come to the workplace to get things done!
Another very interesting thing that I found is amazing child care facilities. On my way during my morning walk, I could see so many women and men dropping their kids to the child care every day, and collecting them in the evening. Many small kids travelling on their own in buses to schools, even as small as 7 years old.
Crime rate in general is very low, making the women and kids roam around pretty freely. I also digged out some other interesting facts about women in Finland that you may find interesting to read.
Finnish women enjoy a "high degree of equality" and "traditional courtesy" among men. In 1906, the women of Finland became the first women in Europe to be granted the right to vote. There are many women in Finland who hold prominent positions in Finnish society, in the academics, in the field of business, and in the government of Finland.
In terms of finance, Finnish women have been described as "usually independent financially". Married women, by custom, introduces themselves by mentioning their forename first, then their maiden name, and then the surname of the their husbands.
Finnish women have been describe by The Telegraph as:
"Finnish women are much more outgoing and approachable than the men and often command three or four languages. Their position in society and business is well-respected and superior to that of women in most other cultures."
In Finland, women's labour force participation has traditionally been high, and today it is almost identical with that of men. In general, women form about 45% of the wage-earning population of the EU countries; even higher percentages are found in Finland (52%), France (51%), Sweden (50%) and Denmark (48%).
There are many reasons for this increase: the recognition of women's high level of education, the wish for autonomy, and the necessity of a double income. However, women still face problems at work when striving for the same status as men (the "glass ceiling"), and they are still overwhelmingly responsible for the family and domestic duties.
The fact that the birth rate has remained fairly high in Finland testifies to the efficiency of the small children’s day care system in Finland. In order for equality to become a reality, men and women must be given equal opportunities to participate in political decision-making and working life. In Finland this is furthered through the day-care system, services for the elderly, and provision of school meals.
Being an active member of the women's circle in my organization, studying the work life of a Finnish women then became a curious case for me. I found that a large number of Finnish women are working, the workplace gender ratio is almost 50-50. May be the population itself is so less, everyone has to come to the workplace to get things done!
Another very interesting thing that I found is amazing child care facilities. On my way during my morning walk, I could see so many women and men dropping their kids to the child care every day, and collecting them in the evening. Many small kids travelling on their own in buses to schools, even as small as 7 years old.
Crime rate in general is very low, making the women and kids roam around pretty freely. I also digged out some other interesting facts about women in Finland that you may find interesting to read.
Finnish women enjoy a "high degree of equality" and "traditional courtesy" among men. In 1906, the women of Finland became the first women in Europe to be granted the right to vote. There are many women in Finland who hold prominent positions in Finnish society, in the academics, in the field of business, and in the government of Finland.
In terms of finance, Finnish women have been described as "usually independent financially". Married women, by custom, introduces themselves by mentioning their forename first, then their maiden name, and then the surname of the their husbands.
Finnish women have been describe by The Telegraph as:
"Finnish women are much more outgoing and approachable than the men and often command three or four languages. Their position in society and business is well-respected and superior to that of women in most other cultures."
In Finland, women's labour force participation has traditionally been high, and today it is almost identical with that of men. In general, women form about 45% of the wage-earning population of the EU countries; even higher percentages are found in Finland (52%), France (51%), Sweden (50%) and Denmark (48%).
There are many reasons for this increase: the recognition of women's high level of education, the wish for autonomy, and the necessity of a double income. However, women still face problems at work when striving for the same status as men (the "glass ceiling"), and they are still overwhelmingly responsible for the family and domestic duties.
The fact that the birth rate has remained fairly high in Finland testifies to the efficiency of the small children’s day care system in Finland. In order for equality to become a reality, men and women must be given equal opportunities to participate in political decision-making and working life. In Finland this is furthered through the day-care system, services for the elderly, and provision of school meals.
Lot of things to learn for Indian women from their Finnish counterparts I think :)
Inspiring
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring!
ReplyDeleteGood findings. We will still take many years to reach there
ReplyDelete