Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Press Release 37/2012
President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö attended the launch of the US-led Equal Futures Partnership initiative on Monday, 24 September in New York. The aim of the initiative is to improve the human rights of women and girls by enhancing their opportunities for political and civic participation as well as to advance economic empowerment in participating countries.
The event was hosted by United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. At the event President Niinistö presented the new, concrete national commitments included in the Government Action Plan for Gender Equality, which cut across three themes.
Firstly, Finland is committed to the promotion of gender equality in the strengthening of democracy and civic participation and in the development of integration policy. “Our integration policy must account for the needs and position of immigrant women,” said President Niinistö in his speech.
Secondly, Finland is committed to the incorporation of the gender perspective into economic policy. And thirdly, Finland is committed to the promotion of gender equality in education and research through the drafting of a separate action plan.
Although nearly all UN member states are committed to the promotion of gender equality through contractual arrangements, the realisation of equality remains a distant objective in many countries. In international comparison, Finland belongs to a small group of countries in which extensive equality is a reality.
In addition to Finland and the United States, the charter members of the Equal Futures Partnership initiative include Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Denmark, Indonesia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Peru, Senegal, Tunisia and the EU.