I live in Finland, a country that boasts many feminist human rights achievements.
Let’s start with history and then continue to one big problem: boys are falling behind, and many blame feminism.
Fast forward to the modern era, and Finnish women continue to rise. In 2000, Tarja Halonen became our first female president, and in 2017, Finland legalized gender-neutral marriage, granting adoption rights to same-sex couples.
From political leadership to championing education, equality, and innovation, Finnish women embody resilience and progress.
Today, the era of breaking glass ceilings is over, and we live in an era where we are trying to learn to live in a society shattered in glass.
The patriarchal world is designed to serve the mediocre man.
If men were taught to embrace feminism, they would better understand why some people succeed — and how to live in a truly equal society. Patriarchal systems are built in a way that men don’t need to be more competent or smarter to succeed. Simply being a man has been enough.
Women have historically been, and continue to be, oppressed to ensure that men don’t have to work harder or pursue more education to maintain their positions. In many cases, being male alone puts someone in an advantaged position.
As society has progressed toward equality, women have gained more access to education and the workplace. They no longer need their husband’s permission to work, and they’ve started to claim rights that men have always had.
Women’s status is far from being fully equal, but yes, we occasionally hear about men “falling behind” in certain areas. That’s often because they haven’t learned how to navigate an equal society or because women are “better suited” for some roles.
However, much of this is rooted in learned behaviors. Boys and girls are not raised the same way. Boys must be taught about equality from an early age so that it won’t surprise them when someone else does better.
Boys need to understand that success is often about competence, not gender.
History of The Almost Gender-Equal Nation
Finland ranks second in the Global Gender Gap Index. In the 2024 index, Finland’s gender gap is 87.5% closed. This achievement is not by accident, but due to generations of fighting for equal rights. In 1878, Finnish women secured equal inheritance rights with men – decades before in most countries. By 1901, women gained the right to study at universities, and in 1906, Finnish women became the first in the world to win full political rights, both to vote and to run for office. Just a year later, 19 women entered Parliament, smashing barriers and setting an example for the rest of the world The progress didn’t stop there. Miina Sillanpää became Finland’s first female minister in 1926, paving the way for women in leadership roles. And in the same year, women were granted equal eligibility for state positions, breaking down even more systemic barriers. By the 1930s, marriage laws had been reformed, freeing wives from their husbands’ legal authority and allowing women to work without needing their spouse’s permission. This independence laid the foundation for the heroic efforts of Finnish women during WWII, when they ran farms, worked in factories, and kept the country going while men fought at the front. The post-war years brought more reforms: in 1948, Finland became the first country to provide free school meals to all children, recognizing the power of equality in education. By the 1970s, Finland introduced parental leave, legalized abortion on social grounds, and mandated access to contraception – making bold strides in reproductive and family rights.
Fast forward to the modern era, and Finnish women continue to rise. In 2000, Tarja Halonen became our first female president, and in 2017, Finland legalized gender-neutral marriage, granting adoption rights to same-sex couples.
From political leadership to championing education, equality, and innovation, Finnish women embody resilience and progress.
Today, the era of breaking glass ceilings is over, and we live in an era where we are trying to learn to live in a society shattered in glass.
The Dark Side of Feminism
It’s not all cinnamon buns and relaxing in a sauna in Finland. While there is progress, there is a dark side. A study conducted by the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations (NYTKIS) in 2024 found that one in four men under the age of 35 believes that women can deserve violence based on their appearance, dress, or behavior. Among all men, 20% hold the same belief. Younger men are more likely to view violence as a way to earn respect, with 22% of men under 25 agreeing that sometimes violence is necessary. There’s also a growing belief that gender equality has already been achieved. Sixty percent of men in Finland think no more progress is needed, and half of them believe that feminist movements like #MeToo restrict men’s rights. This perception is particularly common among younger men, who feel that feminism has gone too far. Women in Finland are now more likely to have higher education degrees and are increasingly represented in leadership roles across industries. One of them is the legal profession, which has experienced a significant shift toward female representation, especially in roles traditionally dominated by men, such as judges and prosecutors. Women began outnumbering men in law school admissions in 1989, and by 1992, female law graduates surpassed their male counterparts. As of 2021, women comprised approximately 60.1% of professional judges in Finland, indicating a clear female majority in the judiciary, and 76.4% of prosecutors are also women. This shift in power dynamics has created frustration among some men, especially those who feel left behind academically or professionally. As women’s opportunities expand, some men express resentment toward their success. The backlash isn’t just about opinions. Anti-feminist rhetoric (and what goes with it: anti-human rights, nationalist, and far-right rhetorics) is growing in online spaces, and they are also gaining traction in our government. These movements frame feminism as a threat to men’s freedoms, reinforcing toxic ideas about masculinity and perpetuating hostility toward women. As well as they also frame many of the issues, like men’s violence against women as an immigrant problem. If Finland, together with the rest of the world, is to continue leading the way in equality, we must address the hostility that persists beneath the surface.Why Are Boys Falling Behind?
It’s easy to say “You go girl” and celebrate the wins of women in power. But what about young men and young boys who are now living in this “future is female” world, where girls are encouraged to “go for it”? Why are boys falling behind? Most don’t like the answer.
The patriarchal world is designed to serve the mediocre man.
If men were taught to embrace feminism, they would better understand why some people succeed — and how to live in a truly equal society. Patriarchal systems are built in a way that men don’t need to be more competent or smarter to succeed. Simply being a man has been enough.
Women have historically been, and continue to be, oppressed to ensure that men don’t have to work harder or pursue more education to maintain their positions. In many cases, being male alone puts someone in an advantaged position.
As society has progressed toward equality, women have gained more access to education and the workplace. They no longer need their husband’s permission to work, and they’ve started to claim rights that men have always had.
Women’s status is far from being fully equal, but yes, we occasionally hear about men “falling behind” in certain areas. That’s often because they haven’t learned how to navigate an equal society or because women are “better suited” for some roles.
However, much of this is rooted in learned behaviors. Boys and girls are not raised the same way. Boys must be taught about equality from an early age so that it won’t surprise them when someone else does better.
Boys need to understand that success is often about competence, not gender.
This brings me to a Question: Why Aren’t More Men Involved in the Feminist Work?
Feminism is fundamentally about equality — about closing the gap between genders. It’s not the opposite of patriarchy. It doesn’t seek to establish a matriarchy where women hold all the power. So, why aren’t more men participating in this work to create a more equal society for everyone? The answer might be that in a patriarchal society, a mediocre man can get by just fine without ever having to think about equality — or his own privilege. That comfort has made it easy for men to ignore the need for change. I would personally like to invite also men to attend our feminist business conference Crush at the Helsinki Stock Exchange Building in May. This will be one of the topics. Ps. Not all boys are falling behind. Not those who have been raised to live in an equal society. —— Photos: Miikka Luotio The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment).Tuomarista tuli vaivihkaa naisten ammatti – Kokenut konkari pitää hassuna, että sukupuoli vaikuttaisi, Helsingin Sanomat
