Equality and Safer Space Principles
One of Pykälä’s values is Equality as a Starting Point. Pykälä’s activities are now and will in the future be based on equality and inclusiveness without exception. There must be room for every member to be themselves, regardless of their background.
Pykälä has an Equality Coordinator (yhdenvertaisuusvastaava), who is a member of the Committee of External Affairs. You can find their contact information on the Committee of External Affairs’ page. In any equality-related matter, you can also reach out to any member of the Association’s Board. An important part of creating a safer and more equal Pykälä is the presence of a Harassment Contact Person in events and during activities. You can read more about the Harassment Contact Person here.
During all activities in and organized by Pykälä the Principles for a Safer Space in Pykälä must by followed by everyone. You can find them below.
Other documents that guide the equality and safer space work in Pykälä are
Our Code of Conduct and
Our Means to Prevent Harassment.
Please note that the Principles for a Safer Space below and the documents above are translations of Finnish documents approved by an association’s general meeting, and these translations may not correspond 100% to the original documents.
To report unacceptable behavior, to discuss or ask about the Safer Space Principles or suggest improvements you can always contact the Harassment Contact Persons, any member of the board (contact information can be found here), or use the anonymous form which can be found here.
The Principles for a Safer Space in Pykälä
The purpose of these principles is to create practices and means that enable members and everyone participating in Pykälä Association’s activities to promote a more equitable and safer atmosphere within Pykälä.
These apply to all Pykälä’s activities, events and communication.
• No verbal, physical, or sexual harassment, racism, or discrimination of any kind, even disguised as humor, is tolerated in Pykälä.
• Do not make assumptions about someone’s identity, gender, or sexuality.
• Do not make assumptions about someone’s background based on external
characteristics such as skin color or speech.
• Do not use derogatory terms or stereotypes that are racist, discriminatory, or ableist (based on health or disability) in your speech or actions.
• Do not promote gendered roles and practices.
• Respect everyone and do not belittle or humiliate others.
• Respect others’ privacy, especially when taking photos or recording.
• Handle sensitive topics with sensitivity as they can be personal to participants.
• Respect everyone’s personal space and their right to take breaks if needed.
• Respect everyone’s boundaries.
• Acknowledge and learn from your mistakes if you are called out for breaking the Safer Space Principles. Also, be understanding of others’ mistakes.
• Promote a positive experience for all participants in Pykälä’s activities with your actions.
• If you witness inappropriate behavior or harassment, contact the harassment contact person, the board, or the event organizers. If you feel capable, you can also assess the situation or offer support to the person who has experienced something unpleasant. The most important thing is not to ignore inappropriate behavior.