Warmly welcome to the homepage of The Finnish White Ribbon Union!

The Finnish White Ribbon Union is a nationwide women's non-governmental organisation for substance abuse prevention. The Christian-social based organisation was founded in 1905. Local activities were started in Turku already in 1896. The aim of our work is to strengthen social equality and equity, to support people in diverse life situations and challenges and to call for action for a substance-free and healthier society. The target group is the whole population. 

The main activities are family work, individual discussions with people in need and professionally-led peer support groups. We also have a vibrant community and arts-based wellbeing work with diverse populations including people with special needs, older people, people recovering from substance abuse, and children and young people. The association publishes the Valkonauha journal, which has been published since 1909. 

Our languages of service are Finnish, Swedish and English.

We warmly welcome you to join us as a member, collaborator, supporter, and customer!

 Kuva2

 

Organized maternal love in Finland since 1896

The White Ribbon movement was founded in North America in the 1870’s. Over the following decades it expanded into an international movement with its current members residing in over 50 countries. The international organization presiding over national unions is called the World´s Woman´s Christian Temperance Union, WWCTU. The White Ribbon movement entered Finland in 1896 when the first local association was founded in Turku. Some of the early influential personalities were the Finnish women’s rights advocate Alli Trygg-Helenius and the Union’s first travel secretary Maria Stenroth, also known by her author name Marja Salmela. Activities in the early years focused on helping the most vulnerable groups in society, i.e. disadvantaged women and children. Shelters and half-way houses for women as well as children’s homes for boys and girls were founded in many parts of the country. Youth clubs were developed as a tool for working with youth. The Finnish White Ribbon union played an influential role in obtaining the first female police officers in Finland.

White Ribbon work has always been wide-ranging in Finland. From the beginning, the White Ribbon movement has been active both in association with the Lutheran church and as an ecumenical movement. Adhering to democratic practices and laws has been essential in maintaining a spirit of tolerance in societal connections. The democratic tradition was early on rooted into the Union by some of the first Finnish female members of Parliament and White Ribbon sisters, e.g. Aleksandra Gripenberg and Hedvig Sohlberg. The international White Ribbon movement battled strongly for women’s right to vote, as did the Finnish White Ribbon sisters in support of a common and equal right to vote.

Today our work is centered around families, personal discussions with people needing support, supportive group activities, and maintaining a student home for women in Helsinki. Since 1909, the Union has published a magazine called Valkonauha (The White Ribbon).  One of the capital area local associations, Greater Helsinki White Ribbon Association, maintains a retirement home named Liisankoti for women recovering from substance abuse.

The Union has eight local associations in eight cities: Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Kuopio, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli, Oulu, and Tampere.