As immigrants, are all our men rapists and all our women exotic sexual objects?

Time to speak up. As immigrants, it sometimes appears that we have to ask ourselves: Are all our men rapists and all our women exotic sexual objects? Immigrants, refugees and their children are being racialized, as girls and women exoticized, eroticised and objectified, as boys and men vilified, painted as criminals and used by politicians, influencers and journalists as career boosters. Are we really all monsters or twerking objects. Is sexuality and violence all there is about us? Are our communities really obsessed with homo- and transphobia, genitally mutilating our children and revenge violence, as the white majority in Finland is made to believe? Do we really believe that boys don’t cry and women have to stay at home? The truth could not be further from it. So what do we do against this image? Lets talk about it.

Less crimes

In reality crime rates are going down as immigration rates are going up and research shows that racialized people fall victim of abuse and violence more than the white Finnish population. Racist and sexualised harassment are disproportionally high against BIPOC, while violence against women in relationships is higher in Finland than in most other countries. 31% of women experience sexualised violence during their life. A recent study by THL claims that children born in Finland into a family where one parent or both parents are of immigrant background are more likely to perform worse at school, suffer mental health problems, yet do not become more involved in crime than others. Read more..

New York Times 2018

When our kids are not welcomed in sports clubs, gyms, restaurants and libraries, when the socio-economic situation does not allow to participate in many of the leisure and cultural activities, how is anyone surprised they meet up in the streets? Is it right to call them “street gangs” then? Let’s take hold of the discussion. Liikkukaa Ry is now launching its “Drop the Mic” project. During the following 12 months we will offer many ways and spaces for expression and exchange.

Experiencend Abuse and harrasment online. Grey: Immigrants and POC, Black: White Finns

We invite everyone to participate and are happy to connect. Please send us your ideas and suggestions. For now we would like to encourage you to get creative, send us your videos, songs, paintings, poems, photography or any other creative input and we will publish it. Use any language you like, but please provide us with a translation to English, Finnish or Swedish if possible. We will arrange Open Mic events both online and on stage and are happy to arrange visits and exchange with experts as well. We will also provide you with info and updates and more videos on the “Drop the Mic” project page:

Join in and stay tuned 🙏

Join us to raise awareness for this and related topics as described in the text below by sharing and/or sending videos, spoken word, photography or whatever comes to mind.

Wednesday, November 25th was the day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the action weeks will go on to December 10th.

Here is our first contribution to the cause, watch video below: “I said no”:

IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, PHONE THE EMERGENCY SERVICES AT 112.

NOLLALINJA HELPS: WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE OR THREAT OF VIOLENCE

ANYONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE OR THREAT OF VIOLENCE IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP

FAMILY MEMBERS OF VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE

PROFESSIONALS AND OFFICIALS WHO NEED ADVICE IN THEIR CUSTOMER WORK

PHONING NOLLALINJA IS FREE OF CHARGE. WHEN YOU PHONE NOLLALINJA, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR SITUATION, YOUR EXPERIENCES AND YOUR FEARS WITH PROFESSIONALS. THEIR PROFESSIONALS LISTEN TO YOU, SUPPORT YOU AND ADVISE YOU IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO GIVE YOUR NAME ON THE PHONE. THE PROFESSIONAL YOU TALK TO CANNOT SEE YOUR PHONE NUMBER DURING OR AFTER YOUR CALL. YOUR PHONE CALL WILL NOT SHOW UP ON YOUR PHONE BILL.