Finland is a democratic republic whose elected President and Prime Minister are head of state and head of government respectively. Free and fair elections are held on the basis of universal suffrage, and the last election resulted in a coalition government. There are 76 women in the 200-seat Parliament and 8 women in the 18-member Cabinet. The President is a woman. 10 members of minorities are in the legislature and 2 are in the Cabinet. The indigenous Sami minority has limited autonomy in its legislative body. The judiciary is independent in law and in practice.

Discrimination based on race, gender, disability, language or social status is prohibited. The President appoints Supreme Court justices, who appoint the lower court judges. The justice ministry charged the distributor of an anti-Semitic book under the country's hate speech legislation. Abuses by security forces are uncommon, but police discrimination against immigrants has been reported.

Corruption is not reported as a problem, and Transparency International rates Finland highly for its openness and accountability. An anti-corruption network is addressing transnational bribery. During its recent EU Presidency, Finland sponsored procedures to examine transparency within the EU.

Public access to information is provided, except material classified for national security or to respect privacy laws. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed and respected.

Laws are in place to convict traffickers and to fight organised prostitution. To combat human trafficking Finland has implemented a comprehensive national action plan and undertaken multilateral international efforts. The main traffickers of women and girls are believed to be Russian organised crime gangs.

Education is free and compulsory for all children aged 7 to 16, among whom it is universal. Most children graduate from secondary school. Education is also free at universities and trade schools. Finland provides fully free, not only tuition-free, education, including books, materials and transportation as well as any other applicable costs. Religious instruction in the Lutheran or Orthodox faith is part of the curriculum in public schools, but students can instead study philosophy or world religion courses. In some urban communities Islam is the second largest religion; students may receive Islamic religious instruction.

The curriculum integrates courses on tolerance and anti-discrimination education. The first ombudsman for children's issues was appointed in 2005 to monitor legislation and practice (including education) and assess the impact on children's welfare. Students in Finland score very well on OECD tests and get high results in other international surveys. Finland is one of the countries rated highest for its quality of life and support systems. Finnish education has the resources and training required to provide a quality educational opportunity.

A 4-year programme begins at age 3. At this level 10% of education is private. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 58%. Of the 11,295 teachers working at this level, 97% are women. The pupil/teacher ratio (PTR) is 12: 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 7 to 16. Primary school begins at age 7 and continues for 6 years. The NER is 99% (49% female). All students who enrol in Grade 1 reach the last grade of primary school. 1% of students repeat grades. There are 24,024 primary teachers (75% female). The PTR is 16 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 13 and is completed in 6 years. 8% of secondary education is private. 36 % of students in lower secondary and 59% in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 94%. Teacher numbers are provided only for lower secondary school, where there are 20,236 teachers (72% female). The PTR is 10 : 1 in lower secondary.

291,664 students (53% female) study in tertiary institutions, for a Gross Enrolment Rate of 87%. At this level 11% of education is private. Foreign students studying in Finland come from Asia (2,814), Central and Eastern Europe (2,373), North America and Western Europe (1,994), Sub-Saharan Africa (711), the Arab States (184) and Latin America and the Caribbean (149). At the same time, 9,719 Finnish students study abroad, mainly in Sweden (4,054), the UK (1,883), Germany (1,056), the USA (619) and France (332).

The law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical and mental disabilities in education and in other state services. The Ministry for Social Affairs and the Ministry for Labour are responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. Proposed legislation will provide further protection and allowances for persons with disabilities. Education is provided for children with disabilities depending on their needs, sometimes in mainstream classrooms, other times in special classes.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The government cooperates with the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Children of refugees are provided with education.

Immigrant non-citizens make up 2% of the population. Minority groups living in Finland, many of them citizens, include Russians, Estonians, Swedes, Somalis, Serbs and Montenegrins. (There are also Roma, who tend to move from country to country.) Some are longstanding minorities in the country, while others are more recent arrivals. Tension between citizens and immigrant groups is not overt, though racist and xenophobic incidents are reported, usually targeted at African and Middle Eastern immigrants. Immigrants allege that police do not take seriously their claims of discrimination.

An ombudsman has been named to deal with complaints of minorities. All government ministries include anti-racism provisions in their personnel policy and training programmes. Teachers are monitored, along with other groups, in their dealing with immigrants to ensure fair treatment. The Finnish League for Human Rights reports discrimination against Roma. Special support programmes in schools assist children from minority groups to integrate into the education system.

The indigenous Sami constitute less than 0.1% of the population, and their language and culture are protected and given financial support. Sami have full political and civil rights and a measure of autonomy in their own affairs. They have the right to use their language in schools and in dealing with government authorities. There are no reports of discrimination against Sami in education or other services.

No restrictions of academic freedom are reported. Internet access is not monitored and is easily available.

Identical legal rights are provided in the judicial system for men and women. A high priority is given to gender equality, but economic discrimination persists. Women's average earnings are 82% those of men. Men dominate the upper ranks in industry and finance, whereas women are over-represented in lower-paying occupations. In 2005 a law took effect to strengthen existing legislation and increase gender equality in the workplace through the promotion of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

Sexual harassment is prohibited, and the law is enforced. Training for social workers who work with immigrant populations has been provided to help identify cases of gender violence within the immigrant community. Concern has been expressed over human rights violations such as honour related violence, forced marriages and genital mutilation. Violence against women continues to be a problem. Women are encouraged to report domestic violence and abuse to the police. Prostitution is legal and limited to private apartments and certain nightclubs in larger cities. Trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a problem.

Laws are in place to protect children from exploitation. Children under 16 cannot work for more than 6 hours a day or work at night, and these laws are enforced.

Workers can form and join trade unions, and about 80% of the workforce is unionised. Collective bargaining agreements based on tripartite wage policy agreements apply. Non-unionised workers are paid at a wage equal to that stipulated by existing collective bargaining agreements. Workers have the right to strike, except for public sector employees who provide essential services. Employees prohibited from striking are ensured due process through arbitration. A strike is legal when an employment contract is not in effect and the action is related to new contract negotiations.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, but such practices reportedly occur among trafficked women. No legislated minimum wage exists. Collective bargaining agreements determine wages. Negotiated wages provide a decent standard of living for workers and their families. The work week consists of 5 days not exceeding 40 hours.