Miessakit Association

In support of men. For the benefit of all.

Miessakit ry promotes the mental, psychological, and social wellbeing of men and is dedicated to developing processes of mutual responsibility and support between men. We support men by organizing various forms of peer activity as well as offering professional counseling in times of personal crisis. We train volunteers, men who wish to guide and support other men, and organize training for professionals and students in the fields of social welfare, healthcare, and education. We are involved in implementing male specific practices within organizations of various kinds and an active voice in public discussions on men’s issues. Male specificity is at the core of our operations and informs how we develop practices, train professionals, and use our influence on the societal level.

Any measures that aim to strengthen the wellbeing of men must be built upon engaging men to participate in activities with their peers. Participation and peer support are necessary components in designing the contents and goals of activities involving men. This ensures that the needs of men remain front and center. Keeping the specific needs of men at the center of the services and peer activities offered to them reinforces and maintains men’s sense of self-worth. This, in turn, lowers the threshold to seek and accept help.

Miessakit employs only men. Our counselors are trained professionals and experienced in male-specific practices. Moreover, all our volunteers and administrative employees are informed about male specificity and understand its importance in supporting men.

Training and development are at the core of our operations, and they are built on knowledge gained on male specific practices and research on how to support men. We provide training especially for professionals of social welfare, healthcare, and education and offer support and professional guidance for organizations that aim to develop male specific practices in their operations.

Miessakit supports the wellbeing of men on the individual, communal and societal levels. Advocacy that is dedicated to upholding the male point of view results in men becoming more engaged in their own wellbeing; it highlights the views and needs of men; and it supports men in various issues related to health and social and societal issues.

We are dedicated to building the common good together. Miessakit was founded on the idea that the relationship between men and women is one of complementary and mutually supportive companionship and forms the basis for the wellbeing of all humans. Our guiding principle is the idea that people are fundamentally oriented toward the good of both themselves and others. This is the foundation of our mission.

Miessakit ry is not affiliated with any political or religious institution.

Mission and values

Mission

In support of men. For the benefit of all.

Miessakit is dedicated to strengthening the individual, communal and societal structures that support men. Our goal is to improve the wellbeing of men in all respects.

Our aim is to help build a society in which the companionship between men and women based on mutual respect forms the foundation of the wellbeing of all.

Values

Our values guide all our operations and their development and are expressions of the mental and material core of our identity. They communicate what we do and who we are to our employees, men participating in our activities, our collaborators and anyone interested in our work. The values that guide our operations are male specificity, “peerness”, professionalism and the promotion of wellbeing.

Male-specificity refers to understanding and taking into consideration the significance and effects of biological, psychological, sociocultural, and historical factors related to masculinity. Moreover, it means that men are always at the center of our services, allowed to be truly heard and seen.

Peerness is the fuel our association runs on – the experiences and experiential knowledge and the wisdom that results from them form the bedrock of our operations and how we develop them. When men participate in activities with other men, learn from and support each other, and experiential knowledge is accumulated, peerness flourishes.

The expertise of our employees and the utilization of the know-how and experiences of our volunteers are the marks of professionalism. We are always developing our expertise through experiential learning and continuing vocational training and dedicated to upholding professionalism.

Promoting wellbeing is the goal of all our operations.

Sectors of operation

Our operations are divided into three sectors: support and peer activities, training and development and social advocacy.

Support and peer activities: Miessakit ry offers support and peer activities that aim to promote the wellbeing of men, prevent problems and their negative effects, and provide crisis support professionally and on a volunteer basis.

Training and development: Our training and development sector focuses on research on men and male specificity and aims to communicate the knowledge gained from this research by organizing training, seminars, and lectures.

Social advocacy: Miessakit ry is involved in social advocacy and aims to communicate its views on social issues to government officials, the media, and citizens. Advocating for social change from the point of view of men increases men’s awareness of their own masculinityand their interest in personal and communal growth. It supports men in various social, societal, and health-related issues and highlights the societal views and needs of men. Finally, it promotes the mutually respectful companionship between men and women. 

Modes of operation

Erosta Elossa

Erosta Elossa helps men process and survive the effects of divorce. The service is available for men whose relationship is facing challenges, who are in the middle of a divorce process or who are experiencing the aftermath of their divorce. Help is available in the form of individual counseling and peer support.

Lyömätön Linja

Lyömätön Linja helps men who need help with violent behavior in their intimate relationships.

Väkivaltaa Kokeneet Miehet

Väkivaltaa Kokeneet Miehet is a service for men who have suffered from physical or psychological violence at home or in public. The service is available remotely by phone or email or via video, and in the form of individual counseling or guided peer group meetings.

Vieraasta Veljeksi

Vieraasta Veljeksi helps immigrant men in finding employment and integrating into Finnish society. Mentoring and discussion groups are the main forms of activity.

Toiminnan Miehet

Wellbeing and participation for men. Toiminnan Miehet offers peer group activities and peer support for men. Peer groups are organized around various kinds of activities that support the overall wellbeing of men.

MASI

MASI supports the functional ability and wellbeing of fathers whose family is affected by depression. Fathers can contact MASI if they or their spouse is exhibiting symptoms of depression or similar mental health problems. The MASI helpline and email support for men is available nationwide and individual counseling is available in person in Tampere, Lahti and Helsinki.

Isyyden Tueksi

Isyyden Tueksi offers support for fathers. The aim of the service is to promote the visibility and participation of modern fathers, help fathers take care of themselves, and facilitate peer activities between them. Isyyden Tueksi also provides information on fatherhood, offers continuing vocational training for professionals who encounter fathers in their work, and creates and maintains professional and social networks in support of fathers.

Konkkaronkka

Konkkaronkka is a project that offers peer and personal support for male entrepreneurs facing financial difficulties. Peer support groups allow men whose business is under threat of bankruptcy or who are overindebted to process their experiences with other men who are facing similar problems. Peer support helps men to accept and gain a deeper understanding of their difficulties and move forward. Group work and individual support promotes the participants’ wellbeing and functional capacity and enables them to find the tools to process their situation.

Miestyön Osaamiskeskus

Miestyön Osaamiskeskus is a competence center that conducts research, carries out development projects and offers training programs related to men’s issues, reinforcing the competence of professionals working with men. Research on men and male specificity is at the heart of its operation, and the center aims to communicate the knowledge gained from this research by organizing training, seminars, and lectures.

Training

Miessakit ry organizes training, seminars and lectures whose aim is to reinforce the competence of professionals and students of the welfare sector and other individuals in supporting the wellbeing of men. Training is organized by our competence center (Miestyön Osaamiskeskus) in co-operation with our different units.

Social advocacy

Miessakit ry is an open community of men whose mission is to enable the co-operation of men from different backgrounds and with varying opinions and worldviews. Each member participates in the association’s activities as an individual and as a representative of his own role.

Miessakit ry participates in public discussions on various platforms, which may include publications as well as events organized by other associations whose focus is on issues related to our mission. Generating discussion by expressing opinions and issuing statements is an integral part of our social advocacy efforts.