Policy Context

Gender equality is one of the key priorities mentioned in Finland’s development cooperation policy. In particular:

• Finland supports legislation and policies that ensure SRHR for women and girls, including those with disabilities. Additionally, Finland backs initiatives that guarantee access to high-quality and equitable SRH services. The country advocates for comprehensive sexual education, contraception, maternal health, the right to safe sex, and, when necessary, the option for safe abortion; and
• Finland facilitates access to services for individuals who have experienced gender-based violence and supports the prevention of such violence. The country particularly assists those in fragile situations and individuals with disabilities. Finland strengthens the awareness of all women and girls of their rights and the ability to advocate for these rights, such as bodily autonomy. Addressing factors that undermine women's status and dismantling social norms requires, above all, the participation of men and boys in the change process.

Finland promotes gender equality through financing equality measures, providing expert assistance, and political support in partner countries, as well as collaborating with civil society and multilateral partners. In addition, Finland engages in political dialogue and advocacy within the EU, the UN, development finance institutions, and partner countries.

ODA Spending

How much ODA does Finland allocate to gender equality?

In 2021, Finland provided US$363 million in gender equality-related funding. This includes US$42 million (7% of bilateral allocable ODA) in funding for projects with gender equality as a principal objective and US$321 million (56% of bilateral allocable ODA) in funding for projects with significant gender equality components. In 2021, gender equality-related funding accounted for 63% of bilateral allocable ODA, significantly higher than the DAC average of 42%.

How is Finland's gender equality ODA changing?

Finland’s gender-related ODA decreased between 2017 and 2018, but steadily increased since 2018 largely due to increases in significant funding.

Multilateral Spending

Finland contributed US$37 million to UNFPA in 2022, ranking 14th in terms of overall contributions. Of this, 93% ( US$34 million) was core contributions and 7% ( US$3 million) were non-core contributions towards UNFPA Emergencies and other programs. In addition, Finland contributed US$31 million to UN Women in 2022, making it the 3^rd largest donor country to UN Women. UN organizations are a main priority for Finland’s multilateral ODA, as Finland generally supports large international organizations to create a larger impact as a small country.