Browsing by Author "Jokinen, Annika"

According to the Act on Equality between Women and Men education providers have been responsible for ensuring that each educational institution prepares a gender equality plan since the beginning of the year 2017. According to the Non-discrimination act education providers have also been responsible to compile a plan to enhance equal rights and to prevent discrimination. Act on Equality between Women and Men and Non-discrimination act are mutually supportive laws which both have outlined that discrimination is forbidden. In the Act on Equality between Women and Men the basis for discrimination is gender, gender identity and gender expression. Non-discrimination act possesses action against discrimination based on sexual orientation. The goal of this thesis, through a literary review, is to clearly define what is meant with gender and sexual orientation diversity and how this diversity is taken into consideration in Finnish basic education. The goal is to also review how the previously mentioned new amendments in the laws is taken into consideration in official educational documents, such as in National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014 and in other documents produced by Finnish National Agency for Education. A specific approach is especially how themes about diversity in sexual orientation are visible compared to themes of gender diversity. According to previous research students who belong to sexual and gender minorities experience the school system as heteronormative, face more discrimination and bullying and feel that they are not on an equal position compared to other students during for example sex education. After the legal reforms various documents that provide guidelines for education put more emphasis on gender equality and gender diversity as sexual orientation diversity. It appears that increasing awareness and information about gender diversity has a greater impact in improving gender equality in schools, then by focusing diversity in sexual orientation through equality plans made by schools.