Promoting equality and non-discrimination systematically from the bottom up

This article series presents cases of innovations built here in Espoo that strive for a better tomorrow for all.

Espoo’s plan and model for promoting equality and non-discrimination 2022–2025 shows that we’re all about systemic action. 

Belonging, being accepted as oneself and a genuine experience of being valued is at the core of the Espoo Story and one of the central pillars of Finnish society. The entire city organization acted and with 133 actions planned under nine themes, 124 actions have been completed or are in progress by end of 2023. The themes encompass the service needs of minority groups, violence and related phenomena, accessibility, gender-informed budgeting and communication and information management all around the city organization. Beyond new ideas and initiatives under the themes, the structured bottom-up way of doing has proven effective in rooting equality and non-discriminatory thinking in all city structures.

Some examples of the actions include educating city officials in LGBTIQA+ issues to make sure perspectives are included in future plans, organizing sports groups for women and girls, participating in the Roma network, involving citizens in planning accessibility in public spaces. Efforts by the City's divisions and units can be seen, for example, in the City's criteria for awarding sports allowances, where extra points are awarded for genuine measures to include immigrant children in free hobby groups.