The move is part of a raft of measures aimed at improving gender equality within the armed forces.
Men in the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) will be allowed to have long hair from the beginning of July.
The change means that men will be subject to the same guidelines now in place for women, according to which hair can be long, but it must not be kept loose. The neck must be bare, the ears must be visible and hair must not hang over the eyes.
Long hair for men has been permitted by the armed forces of neighbouring Sweden and Norway, for example – but until now the FDF has required that men keep their hair short and neatly cut.
The FDF will still prohibit unusual hairstyles, such as mohawks, or hair dyed in bright colours.
Unlike in Sweden, the FDF will also still ban any kind of facial hair without an exceptional, justified reason. Deviations are also possible for headgear that is not part of the military uniform, provided there is a justified reason.
The hair policy is being updated as part of the new general service policy, updating the previous rules, which have been in effect since 2017.
Boosting gender neutrality
Gender equality has also been clarified in other details.
For example, under the 2017 rules, women were allowed to wear small, discreet earrings in limited exceptional situations, but in the new guidelines, the design has been changed to be gender-neutral.
The Defence Forces also looked into introducing gender-neutral terminology, but decided to maintain terminology consistent with existing legislation. So the FDF will still use masculine terms such as ‘serviceman’ regardless of gender.
Stricter approach to inappropriate behaviour
The new guidelines also include clearer rules on identifying and handling inappropriate behaviour. For example, there are more precise definitions of harassment, bullying and name-calling, as well as instructions regarding shared accommodation, which has been gradually introduced since 2020.
Other significant reforms relate to Nato membership and international cooperation.
The next batch of conscripts will start their service on 6 July. Nearly all Finnish men must carry out either military conscription or civilian service, while women may serve as conscripts on a volunteer basis.
