Composition of European Commission

May 28, 2019 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, Democracy

I am writing this post due to the fact that Finland´s broadcasting company YLE, which is funded through tax income, today announced that Finland´s upcoming Prime Minister Antti Rinne (Social Democrats) has promised that Finland´s next European Commissioner will be a female.

In its more than 24 years of membership in the European Union, Finland that joined the EU on January 1st 1995, has never before had a female European Commissioner.

Why does this matter?

Well, in the European Commission currently all major decisions are being made by 28 commissioners, one from each current EU member state. EU Commissioners hold the real power, and only 32 % of current EU commissioners are females. 68 % are males.

Antti Rinne, currently running negotiations to create a new government in Finland after the parliamentary elections held in April 2019, said on the YLE news today that it is about time for Finland to elect a female EU Commissioner to break the glass ceiling that has been holding back female candidates from powerful leadership positions for far too long. The EU Commissioner will be assigned by the upcoming government in Finland.

To achieve one of its main goals in addition to being a Union of peace, the European Union should take into consideration how equality, including gender equality, can be reached within the Union. Currently only 9 out of 28 commissioners are females. The vast majority of decisions concerning more than 512 million of inhabitants within the European Union are thus made by males. If we are going to build and to maintain an equal European Union, it is about time for its decision-makers to take into consideration the fact that at least 50 % (or more) of the EU´s members are females. Thus, the representation of females in the EU Commission should represent an equal share (at least 50 % females of Commissioners). How this will be organized is a minor problem to be solved by the European Commission. Rotation could be one possibility, as in the Chairmanship of the European Union.

The European Commission should not only consist of 50 % females and 50 % males, but also be willing to delegate and to share its power to for instance the European Parliament. If 28 people, one from each EU member state, make decisions on behalf of more than 512 million citizens within the European Union, we are far from democracy. If decision-making in the EU were more democratic, perhaps more people would be interested in voting in the EU Parliament elections in the first place. At the time being, it is a miracle that more than 51 % of citizens are interested enough to give their vote in the elections. In Finland, only 42,9 % of citizens with a right to vote gave their vote in the May 2019 EU parliament elections.

Anne-Maria Yritys 28.5.2019

Thoughts About Democracy, Education & Innovation

August 26, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, Democracy, Equal Leadership, Leadership Development, Thought Leadership

WEF video: The World Innovation Index 2017

Since the current government in Finland cut 600 M€ from education (175 M€ in 2019), can we expect that Finland will soon fall out from the top 10 category as well?

Pisa studies about school performance already indicate that many students have problems with basic learning skills, such as reading.

Teacher unemployment is skyrocketing and due to huge cuts within research and development, Finland is losing many of its bright minds who move to other countries.

Instead, the current right-wing, capitalistic and miserable government aims at building a labor market in this country where people are forced to work for free. Highly-educated Finns are unemployed simply because the current system allows it. Businesses and organizations want free labor. Our current government is probably the lousiest throughout history.

Since Finns are not willing to work for free, the government is investing in attracting uneducated people from abroad to do the same jobs for a lousy salary.

Government and media (propaganda) suggests that unemployment is below 7%. Makes one wonder where and how they have managed to scratch together these kinds of statistics. Crafting all kinds of statistics is an easy thing to do, but one has to be able to read and to interpret them critically.

It is not enough that markets and people are being analyzed just based on data and statistics, especially if data and statistics give people biased or even false information.

On the other hand, people must have enough knowledge and understanding to interpret data and statistics. That is of course impossible if the population of a country is illiterate. Illiteracy is thus a big threat to democracy.

Does the current government of Finland want to continue tearing down democracy? At the very moment, our so called democracy is already debatable, since a mere 200 representatives and a right-wing government make downright stupid decisions without asking the whole population what the citizens want or need.

Finland´s ostensible democracy needs an update. At least Finnish citizens should be reminded of what western democracy signifies and what kinds of rights western democracy has to guarantee for its citizens. Look at Switzerland, a country where not a single important decision is being made without referendum.

Anne-Maria Yritys, MBA and Vocational Teacher. 25.8.2018

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Och samma på svenska:

Kommer Finland att kunna behålla sin plats inom top 10 efter de massiva nedskärningar inom utbildningen (600 M €/175 M € år 2019) som vår nuvarande regering är ansvarig för?

De senaste Pisa-studierna visar redan tecken på att många elever och utbildande har problem med grundkunskaper, inklusive läsning.

Allt för många lärare i Finland måste gå och stämpla för att regeringen har skurit ned på forskning och utveckling så dessa människor flyttar utomlands där deras kunskaper är uppskattade inom arbets- och näringslivet.

Istället för att satsa på den arbetskraft som redan finns i landet verkar den nuvarande, urusla regeringen satsa på att ändra på den nuvarande arbetsmarknaden så att folk är tvungna att jobba gratis. Högt utbildade finnar går arbetslösa bara för att det nuvarande systemet tillåter det. Det har blivit en vana att firmor och organisationer förväntar sig att få gratis arbetskraft. Vår nuvarande regering i Finland är nog den sämsta vi har haft i hela landets historia.

Eftersom finnar inte vill arbeta gratis vill regeringen attrahera billig arbetskraft från utomlands för att jobba med dåliga löner.

Regeringens och mediernas (propaganda) information påstår att arbetslösheten ligger under 7%. Man måste ju verkligen undra var och hur i helvete de har lyckats få ihop sådana statistiker.

Det är ju så enkelt att få ihop en massa statistiker, men man måste också kunna läsa och tolka dessa kritiskt.

Det räcker inte att marknader och människor blir analyserade endast på en massa data och statistiker, speciellt om data och statistiker ger människor förskönad eller t.o.m. förvrängd information.

Å andra sidan bör människor ha tillräckligt med kunskaper och förståelse för att kunna tolka data och statistiker. Det lyckas tyvärr inte om invånarna består av analfabeter. Analfabetism är därför en stor risk för demokratin.

Vill Finlands nuvarande regering smula ner Finlands demokrati ännu mer? Demokratin är ju redan nu osäker när endast 200 riksdagsledamöter och en högerregering fattar dumma beslut utan att fråga hela befolkningen vad de vill eller behöver.

Finlands så kallade demokrati behöver en uppdatering. Åtminstone vore det bra att påminna finländare om vad demokrati betyder och vad för slags rättigheter demokratin bör garantera medborgarna. Se på Schweiz, där inte ett enda viktiga beslut fattas utan en direkt folkomröstning.

Anne-Maria Yritys, MBA och Yrkeslärare. 25.8.2018

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Sama suomeksi:

Saa nähdä, pystyykö Suomi pitämään paikkansa maailman top 10 innovatiivisimpina maina sen jälkeen kun nykyhallitus päätti leikata koulutussektorilta massiiviset 600 M€, joista 175 m€ vuonna 2019.

Viimeisimpien Pisa-tutkimusten mukaan monilla koululaisilla ja opiskelijoilla Suomessa on jo ongelmia perustietojen hallinnassa, kuten lukemisessa.

Aivan liian moni suomalainen opettaja, lehtori ja professori joutuu hakemaan työttömyyskorvauksia hallituksen leikattua tutkimuksesta ja kehityksestä elleivät he sitten ole jo muuttaneet töiden perässä maihin, joissa oppilaitokset ja yliopistot ottavat heidät avosylin vastaan (suomalainen koulutus on ainakin tähän asti ollut ulkomailla erittäin arvostettua, toisin kuin kotimaassamme!).

Sen sijaan että surkea, kapitalistinen ja lyhytnäköinen nykyhallituksemme ymmärtää sijoittaa maassa jo olevaan työvoimaan, pyritään Suomesta luomaan halpatyövoiman maa pakottaen ihmiset työskentelemään ilmaiseksi. Korkeasti koulutetut suomalaiset ovat työttömiä vain koska nykyjärjestelmä sen sallii erilaisten tukien ja avustusten muodossa, joista näyttää tulleen jo normaalitila Suomessa. Suomen nykyinen hallitus taitaa olla maan kautta historian SURKEIN.

Koska suomalaiset eivät ymmärrettävistä syistä halua työskennellä palkatta, yrittää hallitus seuraavaksi investoida halpatyövoiman houkuttelemiseksi ulkomailta. Korvataan suomalaiset osaajat vaikkapa luku- ja kirjoitustaidottomilla. Mitä tyhmempi väestö, sen parempi nykyhallituksen mielestä, kunhan saadaan edullista työvoimaa.

Hallituksen ja Suomen medioiden informaatio-(propaganda) koneisto väittää työttömyyden laskeneen alle 7%:in. Kiinnostaisi tietää, miten ihmeessä he ovat onnistuneet luomaan kyseisen tilaston. Kaikenlaisia tilastoja kun on helppo luoda, mutta niitä täytyy myös osata lukea ja tulkita kriittisesti.

Ei riitä, että markkinoita ja ihmisiä analysoidaan pelkän datan ja tilastojen pohjalta, varsinkaan jos data ja tilastot antavat ihmisille kaunisteltua tai jopa vääristeltyä tietoa.

Toisekseen, ihmisillä täytyy olla riittävästi osaamista ja ymmärrystä tulkita dataa ja tilastoja. Sehän ei tietenkään onnistu mikäli väestö on luku- ja kirjoitustaidotonta. Väestön luku- ja kirjoitustaidottomuus on näin ollen suuri riski demokratialle.

Haluaako Suomen nykyhallitus murentaa Suomen demokratiaa entisestään? Eihän täällä toteudu demokratia tälläkään hetkellä, kun 200 kansanedustajaa ja oikeistohallitus tekevät typeriä päätöksiään kysymättä koko kansalta mitä kansa haluaa tai tarvitsee.

Suomen näennäinen demokratia kaipaa päivitystä. Ainakin suomen kansalaisia olisi hyvä muistuttaa siitä, mitä länsimainen demokratia tarkoittaa ja millaisia oikeuksia demokratian pitää kansalaisilleen taata. Mallia voi ottaa Sveitsistä, missä yhtään tärkeää päätöstä ei tehdä ilman suoraa kansanäänestystä.

Anne-Maria Yritys. MBA ja AmO. 25.8.2018.

Why Should You Be(come) a FEMINIST?

March 25, 2018March 25, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, feminism, Gender Equality

Since it is my birthday I am asking every single male person in my contact network to take action and start supporting a gender equal movement, for instance UN Women’s “He For She”.

By doing so, and by learning more about gender in/equality, you can support the rights of girls and women to be heard and improved all around the world, for it is a great injustice that is taking place and that has to end.

The gender inequality problems vary from country to country. Here are some examples:

-Girls are being cut, i.e. their reproductive organs are being destroyed when very young, so that they cannot have pleasure later on in life. The cuttings include huge risks, such as not being able to conceive due to infections etc.

-Gendercide, femicide and selected (illegal) abortions, because females are unwanted.

-Rapes and physical violence against girls and women

-Domestic violence against girls and women, including psychological violence and emotional abuse

-No education for girls in poor families, because boys are regarded more valuable

-Terrorists such as the Boko Haram kidnapping and even killing girls from/in schools in countries like Nigeria and Pakistan, because they don’t want girls to have education/schooling

-Gender inequal legislation in many countries, prohibiting women for instance to decide over their own bodies or even from owning any land etc. = women have no rights at all

-Human and sex trafficking, victims of which are mainly (adult) women

-Inequal wages with women earning much less than men on the average, even in highly developed, industrialized countries and in the OECD

-Women not allowed to enter certain professions at all in many countries, including in Russia and the Philippines

What else? These were only some of the examples.

The role of men supporting women and gender equality plays a significant role. Without the support of those who currently discriminate the female gender, often just because “things have always been this way”, we cannot achieve gender equality. It is a very bad excuse to claim that you don’t know, because you do know and if you don’t, make sure to educate yourself and learn more awareness.

Even in the world’s most gender equal country, Finland, e.g. only 6% of all university professors are female. Rather strange in a country where women, on the average, are more educated than men. There is a hidden corruption system in this country, where men favor other men for certain roles, especially when it comes to high positions of leadership. Unfortunately.

So if you want to make me happy on my birthday, become a feminist and start supporting equal rights for girls and women, around the world.

You can start e.g. by reading The World Economic Forum´s “The Global Gender Gap Report 2017”. Download it for free at: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-gender-gap-report-2017

Thank you.

Anne-Maria Yritys

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Access some of my previous posts on this topic:

What is Gender Equality in the 21st Century?

Gender Equality and Feminism

Why Should You Empower Women?

International Women´s Day

Empowering Women Worldwide

365 Days a Year Dedicated for Women Globally

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What is Gender Equality in the 21st Century?

November 24, 2017January 4, 2018 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, Gender Equality, Universal Human Rights, Women´s Rights

What is gender equality today, in the 21st century? Unfortunately, in many countries worldwide, the terms feminism and gender equality do not even seem to exist, have been banned from vocabulary, or are at least being hushed by majority of population, both women and men. Even in developed countries where females legislatively have equal rights with males, discrimination is widespread. For many, the word feminism seems to provoke negative feelings, whereby feminist females can be regarded as either lesbians or man-haters.

This is far from true. Those who know the meaning of the word feminism understand that feminism is a term used to describe the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes Merriam-Webster – Feminism | Definition of FEMINISM. Some feminists may of course be either bi-sexual or lesbian, but the word feminism should not be confused or mixed with the sexual orientation of anyone. In fact, many men are feminists. This is not an ideology dedicated to females. On the contrary, feminism is an ideology that supports equal rights for genders in general. Regretfully, some have not internalized this.

When I on March 8th 2015 published “365 Days a Year Dedicated for Women Globally” on LinkedIn, a post dedicated to girls and women on the International Women´s Day, not everyone who read the post were delighted about it. After publishing “365 Days a Year Dedicated for Women Globally” I received not only angry comments, but also angry personal messages on LinkedIn. The topic is so sensitive in countries where the rights of girls and women are being oppressed that even discussing or writing about it awakens hatred in people.

Developed, progressive and democratic countries that are often defined to be gender equal are in fact not gender equal. These countries may have come closer to gender equality, but there is yet not one single country on Earth that can be defined as gender equal. The World Economic Forum, an organization committed to improving the state of the world, has been publishing The Global Gender Gap Report since 2006. The Global Gender Gap Report 2017 was published on November 2nd, 2017, analyzing the gender gaps in 144 countries. According to Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF, “Talent is one of the most essential factors for growth and competitiveness. To build future economies that are both dynamic and inclusive, we must ensure that everyone has equal opportunity”. (WEF. The Global Gender Gap Report 2017).

One of the key findings in The Global Gender Gap Report 2017 was that the average gap worldwide in terms of gender equality is 32% (31,7% in 2016). Furthermore, with the current rate of development, gender gaps could be cut out within one century. According to the report, gender inequality is costly: global GDP (gross domestic product) could see an increase of 5.3 trillion USD within less than a decade by ensuring gender equality in economic participation.

Although the Nordic countries (Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark) have the smallest gender gaps on a global level, even these countries have failed to achieve gender equality. As a result of this, Iceland has as the first country in the world decided to introduce equal pay through legislation, whereby paying one gender less than the other will be illegal. This news has been received for instance in Finland, where I currently live, with differing opinions. Some claim, without sufficient understanding about the causes of unequal pay, that “men in Finland earn more than women because they work overtime while women decide not to”, or, “men earn more than women because of choice of occupation”. This allows us to ask whether it is legitimate that traditionally male-dominated professions pay more than female-dominated professions? Is there some specific reason to pay for instance engineers more than nurses?

The realization of gender inequality in both Sweden and Finland, two of the world´s most gender equal countries, has led to the emerging of new political parties. In Sweden, Feministiskt initiativ was established in 2005 with the purpose of “opposing all forms of discrimination” in Sweden. In Finland, the Feminist Party was registered as recently as on January 1st, 2017, as a result of the realization that feminism has not been achieved in Finland. The Finnish Feminist Party states following on its website: “Conventional political ideologies have not succeeded in solving discrimination, sexism and racism, which are known phenomenons in both capitalist and socialist countries.” (Feministinen Puolue – Why a new political party?).

Equality (gender equality) truly is the unfinished business of the 21st century. Abolishing all kinds of discrimination in our societies is a responsibility of everyone, regardless of gender, economic, political, or social status. The best way of ensuring equality is to start living it, and asking ourselves what each one of as can do to contribute to an equal society where all individuals, regardless of any external attributes, can live and thrive without any discrimination.

Connect with me on Twitter @annemariayritys. For climate/environment-related posts only @GCCThinkActTank. Subscribe to Leading With Passion to receive my latest posts.

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Empowering Women Worldwide

March 7, 2017March 9, 2017 by Anne-Maria Yritys, posted in Change Leadership, Empowering Women, Female Leadership, Gender Equality, International Women´s Day, Universal Human Rights

Each year on March 8th, International Women´s Day is being celebrated worldwide. Some men have asked, why women must be celebrated? Why do men have no International Men´s Day? Should we rather ask why we actually need an International Day for Women?

The purpose of International Women´s Day is to remind us all of the fact that we are yet far from having reached gender equality. Women across the world must get their voices heard. Due to many different reasons, including culture, tradition, legislature etc., many countries/societies across our globe prevent women from having the same opportunities in life as men.

What we all must understand is that empowering women through women´s birthright, Universal Human Rights, that apply to both genders, we contribute to developing a sustainable global economy, where all human beings have equal access e.g. to education and to workforce (and, a profession of their choice/level of education, knowledge and skills), narrowing down gender gaps and transforming societies to become less gender oriented.

According to research and statistics, girls and women that have equal access to primary, to secondary, and even to higher education give birth to fewer children. Not that children would be unwanted in our world, but when girls and women are economically empowered through education and through an unlimited access to the global job market/have the possibility of practicing their learned profession/becoming entrepreneurs, it has multiple beneficial effects upon societies, including better health for both women and children, and less poverty. In our overpopulated world with too many children suffering from hunger, malnutrition and poverty, it is important for parents to have the opportunity of raising healthy children which ultimately will lead to healthier economies and societies.

By giving girls and women equal opportunities and allowing females to access their basic human rights, economies and societies worldwide empower and help women to be capable of taking care of, not only their own futures, but the futures of their children equally.

What can you do as a man to help and to support an equal economy? There are countless ways of empowering girls and women, starting within the close family system/relatives/your community. Learn more about the worldwide facts regarding gender equality. Integrate gender equality into your daily life at home, at work, in your community. Understand that empowering girls and women will benefit men as well, when responsibilities are distributed equally within homes, and in working environments.

What can you do as a girl/as a woman? There is no simple response to this question, since the state of equality between genders varies from country to country. I could write, learn and be aware of your (human) rights as a girl/woman, but it is not that simple taking into consideration that currently not every girl/woman is aware of their Universal Human Rights. How can you empower yourself to take action for improving your life as a girl/woman if you are unaware of your basic human rights? However, those girls and women who are aware of their basic human rights should claim access to those fearlessly, empower themselves and other women to become active citizens of the world to make their voices heard and contribute to an increasingly much democratic world where both men and women can live up to their full potential as equal human beings.

Happy International Women´s Day!

Click here to read related post:

365 Days a Year Dedicated for Women Globally

Click here to access International Women´s Day presentation:

International Women´s Day Thought Leadership

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