Both Xamk and Student Union Kaakko are committed to promoting equality in our community. In our everyday lives, each of us is responsible for treating other people equally.
Xamk’s aim for equality is stated in our Equality and Non-Discrimination Policy and is updated regularly. The implementation of the Policy is monitored by an equality survey which is carried out every other year. The survey is for both students and staff, and the results help us to ensure equality at Xamk.
Both students and staff can report harassment and inappropriate behaviour through the Falcony incident reporting system.
– We are also planning to produce guidelines for supporting our staff with matters of diversity, sexual orientation, and gender. In the future, we will increase awareness of these themes within our community, for instance, by offering more information and training, tells Vappu Kunnaala-Hyrkki, who started as Xamk’s Sustainability Coordinator in the beginning of June.
In addition, issues of equality are studied in many RDI projects at Xamk. Examples of these research themes include gender sensitive career and workplace guidance models, and equality in sports from the viewpoint of gender and sexual minorities.
Kaakko’s harassment contact persons support Xamk students
In the Student Union Kaakko, promotion of equality is outlined in its strategy. To achieve this, Kaakko has trained people to support students in dealing with harassment.
– It is important that everyone can live and study here without any fear of discrimination or harassment. We are building a multicultural and equal community, which acknowledges the diversity of our students, emphasises Jenni Aikio, Executive Director of Kaakko, and Krista Väisänen, President of the Board.
Xamk celebrates Pride Week with rainbow flags
Xamk celebrates Pride Week with rainbow flags on its campuses from 27 June to 3 July 2022. This is also Helsinki Pride Week, the biggest human rights event in Finland. Pride is about equality as well as human and minority rights. Pride will also take place in Savonlinna on 27 August. Kotka Pride was already celebrated on 18 June.