“I went to see the therapist because I thought I was doing something wrong as a partner in the relationship that was causing my partner to behave this way. And I thought that if I went to the therapist, they could fix me and help me be a better partner so that my partner would stop hurting me,” said Swedish language integration advocate Allyana Thomas, as she described her life in and exit from a violent relationship on episode 5 of FTTLG.
Victim Support Finland (RIKU) describes domestic violence as a hidden crime, as abuse takes place inside the home, meaning that outsiders are rarely aware of it. Despite being lauded as a paragon of gender equality, various studies have shown that Finland is an unsafe place for women. According to UN Women Finland, one in three women in Finland experiences intimate partner violence during their lifetime, while annually, at least 50,000 are targets of sexual violence.
The importance of safe spaces
Under cover of the pandemic, when people were asked to work from home where possible, the situation worsened, demonstrating the importance of work and school as safe spaces for people living with violence in the home.
“I think the biggest help aside from having a therapist to talk to was being able to go to work. That I had a safe place to go away from my partner,” Thomas said of her own experience.
According to Allyana Thomas, living with relationship violence prompted her to run as a Swedish Peoples Party candidate in the 2023 parliamentary elections on a platform of “making Finland a safe place for all”.
NGOs provide support
Finland is doing more to support people living with domestic and intimate partner violence. Some of the organisations mentioned in the show are:
Mieli - Mental Health Finland Provides crisis support for people living with mental health issues
Omatila – a unit of the Western Uusimaa Uusimaa Wellbeing Services county, that provides support for people experiencing violence in intimate relationships
Naistenlinja – Women’s Line offers services for people identifying as women and girls, and others close to them, experiencing violence and abuse or the threat of violence and abuse
Nollalinja – providing support and shelter for people living with domestic violence
Riku – Victim Support Finland advocates on behalf of all victims of crime
Migri – the Finnish Immigration Service
Listen to the full episode and follow and subscribe to Finland: Through the looking glass on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor.fm). Remember to like, share and rate the show and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Audio production was provided by Travis Glossop and the podcast was recorded at Enchanté Café in Helsinki.
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