Fathers gather in Helsinki to share stories of estrangement on Father’s Day

Today marks Father’s Day, a celebration often envisioned with a smiling father receiving breakfast in bed prepared by the mother and children, accompanied by a homemade card. In Pasila, Helsinki, however, Father’s Day took on a different tone at a gathering where smiles were scarce. The fathers attending were unable to meet with their children.

Pertti Knihtilä from Vantaa shares his story, having not seen his nearly 30-year-old daughter for almost three decades. “I have lost tens of thousands of precious moments with my child,” he laments. He joined nearly ten other fathers at the event organized by the group “Fathers for Children’s Rights,” which offers peer support.

One father, Alen Zeba from Helsinki, recently had a chance to see his 9- and 11-year-old sons again after an eight-month absence from their lives. “I wished to be with my children today,” he said. Other fathers at the event chose to remain anonymous, citing the sensitivity of their situations.

Some shared that they rely on old photographs to feel connected to their children, as they cannot interact with them. The event’s invitation read: “For many fathers, this day is challenging when contact with their children is complicated or completely severed. Alienators often undermine your role as a parent, especially on Father’s Day.”

Sari Ignatius, a board member of “Fathers for Children’s Rights,” opened her talk by wishing her own father a happy Father’s Day, noting that she grew up without him. She asserts that children should have the right to both parents, regardless of their living situations, explaining that financial issues and bitterness often drive wedges between families.