Report discrimination [City of Tampere]

On a yellow background, a group of different people.

Tampere is a city for all, where discrimination and inappropriate behaviour are not tolerated. On this page, you will find advice on what to do if you experience discrimination.

Being discriminated against can trigger a wide range of emotions, such as anger, anxiety or self-blame. It can feel difficult to try to deal with the situation. However, every experience of discrimination is worth dealing with. Discrimination does not have to be accepted.

Seek help from the experts

First, try to sort things out yourself with the person you feel has discriminated against you. You can get help, advice and an assessment of your situation from the authorities. If necessary, you can also contact a wide range of organisations that help people who have experienced discrimination.

If you have experienced discrimination while using the services of the City of Tampere, you can contact the city's equality coordinator. The coordinator will not intervene in individual cases, but can advise on who to contact and bring different actors together to find a solution.

Identifying discrimination

It is not always easy to know if you have been discriminated against. For example, rude behaviour is not necessarily discrimination, even if it is against good manners.

Discrimination is when a person or groups of people are treated differently from others in the same situation because of certain prohibited grounds of discrimination.

Under Finnish law, no one may be discriminated against on the basis of the following grounds:

gender and gender identity
sexual orientation
age
ethnic background or nationality
language
religion or belief
opinion
political activity
trade union activities
family relations
state of health
disability
social or economic status

Other individual, prohibited grounds of discrimination include for instance body size, appearance or neurodiversity.

Report serious discrimination

Contact the police directly in the event of a serious, threatening situation, such as violence, persecution or a hate crime. When making a report, mention if you suspect a hate crime. You do not need to know whether or not it is a crime. That is the work of the police to determine a crime.

You can get help with reporting a crime from Victim Support Finland. Victim Support can also advise you if you suspect that discrimination may constitute a crime, but you are not sure. Calling Victim Support is free of charge. You can get help in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Victim Support Finland (RIKU)’s main operation is to improve the position of the victim of crime, his/her loved ones and the witness of the criminal case by influencing and producing support services. We aim to operate as the arbiter and interpreter of needs on behalf of the victim of crime.

Authorities that help people who have experienced discrimination

Some types of discrimination do not require immediate intervention. However, these non-urgent discrimination situations must also be dealt with. You should first raise the matter yourself with the person you feel has discriminated against you. If necessary, seek support from experts. Depending on the nature of the discrimination and the possible discriminator, you can contact the following authorities:

The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman is an autonomous and independent authority. The task of the Ombudsman is to promote Non-Discrimination and to prevent discrimination.

You can contact the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman if you have experienced or perceived discrimination on grounds of age, origin, nationality, language, religion, belief, opinion, political activity, trade union activities, family relationships, health, disability, sexual orientation, social or economic status or any other personal grounds.

The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman can also be contacted on behalf of another person or group.

You can contact the Ombudsman by e-mail or telephone. However, in the first instance, you should report discrimination using the form in the Non-Discrimination Commissioner's Office:

Contact information of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman

You can contact the Ombudsman for Equality if you have experienced or witnessed discrimination on grounds such as gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual harassment.

Website of the Ombudsman for Equality

The Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) supervise, among other things, early childhood education and teaching, safety at work, accessibility of digital services for public authorities and environmental health.

Further information how to make a complaint:

Regional State Administrative Agencies: Enforcement and reporting violations

You can contact the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland if you want to make a complaint about public authorities, officials or other bodies performing a public function. You can also contact the Ombudsman on matters relating to the rights of people with disabilities, as the Ombudsman is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Parliamentary Ombudsman does not provide general legal advice or opinions on specific questions of interpretation of the law.

Further information how to make a complaint:

Website of the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland

Organisations offering support in Tampere

There are several organisations in Tampere where you can get support in situations of discrimination, hate speech or violence and in recovering from them. Some organisations specialise in helping with specific concerns. These include mental health problems, issues dealing with ethnicity or honour-related culture, emotional or spiritual violence, family or relationship problems, disability issues, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. Services are also targeted at different age groups.

The Finnish Red Cross (SPR) Youth Shelter can be contacted in cases of discrimination against young people. You can contact the Youth Shelter online, by phone or by coming directly to the shelter. No appointment is necessary. Assistance is free of charge.

Youth Shelters

All persons who have experienced intimate partner violence or the threat of it can apply to the Tampere Emergency Shelter. The shelter is open 24 hours a day. The help is free of charge.

Website in Finnish: Tampereen ensi- ja turvakoti

The Crisis Centre Osviitta is a place where anyone in need of support can come. They have trained volunteers and staff who will support you with difficult situations in life, for example marital or family problems, worries and stress in everyday life or a traumatic experience.

Your visit is confidential and free of charge. You can remain anonymous. Please book your appointment in advance, so they can find an English speaking worker or voluntary worker for you.

Contact Osviitta Crisis Centre

Contact Victim Support Finland

You can contact Setlementti Tampere if you have experienced or witnessed domestic violence or sexual violence. It also helps to prevent honour-related violence.

Setlementti Tampere: Sexual violence

Setlementti Tampereen DIDAR: Honour-related conflicts and violence

Pro-tukipiste provides confidential support for people who work in the sex and erotic industry or offer sex against payment. They also support victims of human trafficking. The support service is free, anonymous and confidential.

Pro-tukipiste: Support services

National support organisations

A nationwide human rights and civil society organisation made up of its member associations, providing peer support and advocacy opportunities. The target group is people with intellectual disabilities and their loved ones.

Website in Finnish: Kehitysvammaisten Tukiliitto ry

MIELI Mental Health Finland provides crisis assistance and support in order to prevent mental health problems and suicides. The Crisis Helpline allows you to discuss your thoughts, feelings and situation in life with a crisis worker or a trained volunteer.
You can call anonymously and confidentially.

Contact Mieli ry

The Women's Line is for women and girls of all ages who have experienced violence or the threat of violence, and their loved ones. You can contact the Women's Line by phone in confidence.

Website of Naistenlinja

Nollalinja is a nationwide free-of-charge helpline for anyone who has experienced violence or a threat of violence in a close relationship. Nollalinja is also available for family members of victims of violence and for professionals and officials who require advice in their work with customers.

Nollalinja helps:

women who have experienced psychological, physical or sexual violence or threat of violence
anyone who has experienced psychological, physical or sexual violence or threat of violence in an intimate relationship
family members of victims of violence
professionals and officials who need advice in their customer work

Phoning Nollalinja is free of charge. When you phone Nollalinja, you will be able to talk about your situation, your experiences and your fears with a professional.

Website of Nollalinja

The Finnish Refugee Advice Centre is a non-governmental organisation which provides legal aid and advice to asylum seekers, refugees and other foreigners in Finland.

Website of the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre

Support for Victims of Religions is an organization which provides support for people who have faced various kinds of problems and abuses in religious groups. The problems may include for example manipulation and indoctrination, various forms of exploitation or sexual, physical and mental violence.

Website of Uskontojen uhrien tuki

The Finnish Self-Advocacy Society of Persons with Learning Disabilities: The mission of Me Itse is to teach and train persons with learning disabilities to speak and act for themselves.

Website of Me itse ry

Is there an essential operator missing from the list? Please contact the Equality Coordinator.

Mikko Ala-Kapee

Non-discrimination coordinator

Phone:

040 515 6166

Email:

[email protected]

Updated 13.2.2024

Equality, non-discrimination and diversity

Report discrimination

Seek help from the experts

Identifying discrimination

Report serious discrimination

Authorities that help people who have experienced discrimination

The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman (Yhdenvertaisuusvaltuutettu) Expand Collapse

Ombudsman for Equality (Tasa-arvovaltuutettu) Expand Collapse

The Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) Expand Collapse

Parliamentary Ombudsman (Eduskunnan oikeusasiamies) Expand Collapse

Organisations offering support in Tampere

Youth Shelter (Nuorten turvatalo) Expand Collapse

Tampere Emergency Shelter (Tampereen ensi- ja turvakoti) Expand Collapse

The Crisis Centre Osviitta Expand Collapse

Victim Support Finland (Rikosuhripäivystys) Expand Collapse

Sexual violence and honour-related conflicts: Setlementti Tampere Expand Collapse

Support for violent women: Maria Akatemia Expand Collapse

Support for people who work in the sex industry: Pro-tukipiste Tampere Expand Collapse

Support in sexual orientation, gender identity: Sinuiksi ry Expand Collapse

Transfeminines: Transfeminiinit ry Expand Collapse

National support organisations

Legal advice on matters relating to disability: Kynnys ry Expand Collapse

Persons with intellectual disabilities: Kehitysvammaisten Tukiliitto ry Expand Collapse

Mental Health Crisis Helpline: Mieli ry Expand Collapse

Support for men suffering for violence: Miessakit ry Expand Collapse

The Women's Line: Naistenlinja Expand Collapse

Threat of violence in a close relationship: Nollalinja Expand Collapse

The Finnish Refugee Advice Centre (Pakolaisneuvonta) Expand Collapse

Support for Victims of Religions: Uskontojen uhrien tuki Expand Collapse

Persons with Learning Disabilities: Me Itse ry Expand Collapse

Mikko Ala-Kapee