If you've faced harassment, equity issues or have felt uncomfortable, please reach out to us through our equity form or contact our equity person Tuomas Perkinen (equity@helsinkidebating.fi). If you wish to raise an equity concern, no matter how small you think it may be, never hesitate to reach out.
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Equity Policy
Equity Policy
The purpose of this Policy
A key feature of debating is the ideal that everyone should be able to take part in a free exchange of
ideas, and be treated with respect. Through a standardized equity policy, we provide guidelines for
our society to ensure we provide a non-discriminatory and inclusive debating experience for all
members.
What is Equity?
Equity is the set of rules, or a Code of Conduct, by which the society is governed in relation to
student wellbeing. This Code of Conduct applies to all events associated with our organization,
including, but not limited to, debates, social events and tournaments we arrange or participate in.
For the purpose of ensuring compliance with our equity policy, the board selects and Equity Officer
for the society. The Equity Officer is the first person to contact if any issues of equity should arise.
No member of our society may engage in any behavior that could undermine or attack the purpose
of debating or this Code of Conduct, or unduly impair other participants’ ability to enjoy it. Such
behavior may include, but is not limited to:
● Making denigrating comments towards others. These can include both attacks on an
individual, or can be attacks which concern identity characteristics including, but not limited
to, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender,
gender identity, disability or marital status;
● Harassing, threatening, intimidating others in any way, or detracting from their ability to
participate in an event, including through direct abuse or gross insensitivity;
● Damaging or destroying any property that does not belong to them
● Allowing prejudices or subconscious bias to impact upon the way in which they treat or
interact with other members of the competition
It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure that their actions do not offend, denigrate
or alienate other people; we must all be conscious of the way in which our behavior can impact
upon other people. It is also important that participants to speak up when they have been made to
feel uncomfortable, or been offended. This allows the community to reflect upon behaviors which
may inadvertently impact on others in a negative way.
Role of the Equity Officer
Our Equity Officer is here to listen to your concerns, including but not limited to:
● Instances of discrimination by a member of the society, based on an individual's perceived or
actual race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, medical
condition, debating ability or other personal characteristic.
● Issues relating to harassment, sexual assault and non-consent.
● Anxiety and issues with mental wellbeing relating to an incident within the society or members
within the society.
● Any other sensitive concerns of our members.
They are also required to regularly assess the environment of the Society in relation to Equity issues and
to listen to any member of the society who has concerns about Equity issues, which may include sexual
harassment, discrimination, or any other offensive behaviour.
What can we do?
Please note that whilst our Equity Officer is not a trained psychologist or counsellor, our Equity Officer
can direct your concerns and take action including but not limited to:
● Doing no actions, but being here to listen;
● Discussing the issue amongst the Board;
● Organise a mediation session between the alleged offender regarding the incident;
● Removing a member from the society or prohibit them from attending the Society’s social
events;
● Prohibiting the person involved to attend future tournaments on behalf of the Society;
● Alerting tournament convenors to the behaviour of the accused;
● Providing guidance to the victim as to details of counselling or psychological services on or off
campus;
● Alerting authorities as to the incident or possible future incidents, including the police, health
authorities or the university.
Our Equity Officer will not take action without your consent to whatever you would like to do.
However, we take all concerns seriously and keeping our society an inclusive, welcoming, and
enjoyable space for everyone — regardless of their personal circumstances — is our utmost priority.
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