Finland Times

 

A seminar held in Helsinki on Wednesday marking the Women´s Day. Photo Lehtikuva.

Speakers at a seminar in Helsinki on Friday said that the telephone counseling and women's shelter services provided for refugee women in Finland are quite limited.

 

“Helsinki has low-threshold services, but definitely not enough. All over Finland, very few services are offered to women who have suffered violence, without taking into ac-count, for example, honor violence or forced marriages,” said Resource Centre (Voi-mavarakeskus) Director Natalie Gerbert at the seminar held marking the Women’s Day.

 

Natalie Gerbert said that women need more low-threshold opportunities to talk about their problems without an appointment, and if necessary, anonymously.

 

Women among asylum seekers and refugees often have difficult experiences in their past.

 

For example, in their home countries or through seeking refuge, they may have experi-enced sexual violence or gender-based persecution.

 

The director of the Centre said that more political will is needed from decision-makers to safeguard women's easy access to help.