ANNA
I AM READY!
We have a historic election coming up on April 13, 2025. For the first time, municipal and wellbeing services county elections will be held simultaneously in Finland. However, you will vote in two different elections on the same election day. I am running in both elections and every vote is important. I am ready for four new years in municipal politics and wellbeing services county politics. Are you following me? The actual election day is Sunday, April 13, and the voting stations are open from 9am until 8pm. Advance voting in Finland runs from April 2 to 8. Below you can read more about my election themes in both elections.
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
I am running as a candidate in the municipal elections in my home municipality of Nykarleby. If you live in Nykarleby, you can vote for me there. I have over 20 years of experience in municipal politics in Nykarleby and I am far from finished, the journey has just begun.
I am passionate about everyone's equal value, gender equality, school, education and the rights of the disabled. We also need to ensure that employees in the public sector have high work well-being. My group and I highlighted this subject in the council during this election period by submitting a motion about clothing allowances for employees in early childhood education. Investments are needed here. Other motions we have submitted are a motion that Nykarleby should support anonymous recruitment and that we should invest in a library educator position in the city.
I want to work for:
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1. Invest in children and young people - sufficient resources for childcare, school and education
The rights of the child are protected in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Finland ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. It obliges the Finnish state, municipalities, and all parents and other adults. Here I see that the subjective right to daycare is very important. It is important that all children receive the support and attention they need when they go to school, and it is important that the hourly resources are not reduced so that group sizes stay moderate .
We must protect free education in our country. I would also like to highlight preventive measures. The Finnish model for free hobby activities is an important measure to prevent marginalisation. A meaningful free time contributes to equality and a feeling of inclusion.
2. An accessible and barrier-free municipality benefits all residents
An accessible society promotes participation. Everyone's right to access information, to be able to move and live a barrier-free life is stipulated in the Constitution of Finland. Accessibility legislation for the built environment in municipalities is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with disabilities.
Accessibility is one of the overarching principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Environment, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. There are accessibility requirements and the purpose of the minimum requirements in the accessibility of buildings is to promote equality between people, i.e. to the best of one’s ability to participate in the functions of society, use services, work, choose a place of residence and live at home.
3. Municipalities have a statutory obligation to prevent and intervene in violence in close relationships and within the family
Unfortunately, violence in close relationships is steadily increasing. Violence in close relationships can be physical, psychological, sexual or economic. Anyone can be affected, regardless of age or gender. Most often, the victim is a woman.
Among EU countries, Finland tops the statistics. Finnish women are exposed to significantly more violence than women in EU countries on average. What can municipalities do? In my opinion, more intensive cooperation between different levels is needed to put an end to violence. The well-being countys organize social and health services for victims of violence. Schools and the third sector are also responsible for identifying exposure to violence. Confidentiality laws often hinders cooperation between social and health care, schools, and homes. Here, I hope that closer cooperation could be developed, such as training staff in early childhood education and schools in the regions on issues related to violence against women and domestic violence.
According to the implementation plan for the Istanbul Convention 2022–2025, the authorities are obliged to, among other things, carry out awareness-raising work to prevent violence against women and to include teaching materials in the official curricula at all levels of education that deal with,, equality between women and men, gender roles, mutual respect, resolving conflicts in personal relationships without violence, gender-based violence against women and the right to personal integrity. Here, I want to highlight that as part of the work, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has developed, among other things, safety skills for children and young people, provided training on violence to professionals in education and upbringing, conducted a campaign against sexual violence, and offered civil service personnel training on violence against women.
But this is not enough! We must all help each other and support each other.
WELLBEING SERVICE COUNTY ELECTION
I am also running as a candidate in the wellbeing services county election in the Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county . This means that you can vote for me in the wellbeing services county election in all of Ostrobothnia.
During this election period , I have served as the chairman of the Council for People with Disabilities. I have extensive experience and expertise in disability issues and this has come in handy in my role as chairman of the Council for People with Disabilities. I have also served as a regular member of the rescue section in the Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county and served as a deputy on the wellbeing services county council.
This journey has also just begun, I want to continue to influence issues related to social care, healthcare issues and health.
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I want to work for:
1. Strengthen disability services in the Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county – don't dismantle them
Finland has now received new long-awaited disability legislation. The central message of the law is that the need for support and service should be decisive, not diagnosis. This is a good thing. However, the Ostrobothnian wellbeing services county has now, when saving costs, reorganised the disability service, which could have a negative impact on both clients and employees in the long term. Disability services should now be strengthened, not weakened . Finland has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This means that people with disabilities should receive the service and support they need to live a full life in society. For this to be realised, the state must provide sufficient resources to wellbeing services counties so that the convention and legislation are complied with.
2. Invest in employees well-being and occupational health
In order for employees to be able to work and have high work well-being in their workplace, a real change in attitude within the social and health care sector must take place. Salaries and working conditions must be improved and the professions in this sector must become more attractive. It is good that the salaries of healthcare workers are being slowly increased and it is a step in the right direction. But it is not enough. Many health-care workers are moving away from Finland and this is something we need to get to the bottom of. The health-care professions must become more attractive in Finland and improved working conditions are the key.
3. Sufficient resources must be given to social work and child protection service
The wellbeing services county election is as much about social work and service as it is about healthcare issues. We need representatives in the upcoming wellbeing services council who have expertise in social care and who prioritize it. Social work is of great importance; everyone will be affected by social services at some point in their lives.
The wellbeing services county is responsible for the most vulnerable groups in society. For example, in child welfare, social workers are overburdened because there are not enough resources. I would like to see more active cooperation with the municipalities regarding preventive work so that the need for demanding child welfare services is reduced. The wellbeing services counties are responsible for arranging child welfare services. The services can be produced by the welfare area or purchased.
WHO IS
ANNA CALDÉN?
I usually describe myself as an incurable optimist and a political activist. I am born in the city of Nykarleby and my profession is Bachelor of Health Care and Social Service. I work as a coordinator at a organisation of people with disabilities and I am particularly passionate about human rights and the right of everyone to be part of society. I am the first vice-chairman of the Swedish Speaking District of the Social Democratic Party of Finland (FSD).
I have a wide political experience and have been active in local politics for a long time. I am also a member of the Human Rights Center's national delegation, a member of the Social Democrat's national council, a board member of Folktinget and active in Nordic co-operation on disability questions. I am now ready for the Finnish Parliament.
As a person, I am very positive, have great knowledge of the Social Sector, I am stubborn and understand issues. These qualities and political experience make me a good and suitable parliamentary candidate.
In my free time, I enjoy singing in a choir and working out. I enjoy and appreciate the Finnish nature.
