Women as ministers in independent Finland
Women in Finland were the first in the world to receive full political rights. Universal suffrage and the right to be a candidate in national elections were entered into law already in 1906. A year later, 19 women were elected to the first Parliament. One of them was Miina Sillanpää, who in 1926 was the first woman to become a government minister. The number of women in politics has increased steadily. A total of 96 women have served as ministers in the governments of independent Finland (10 December 2019). Here we present them and their achievements.
Female ministers from 1917
1917
Universal suffrage is expanded to municipal elections
1919
Right to be gainfully employed without the husband’s consent
1926
First female minister (Miina Sillanpää)
1926
Act on women’s eligibility for government posts
1927
First female professor (Alma Söderhjelm)
1930
Marriage Act: a wife is no longer under the guardianship of her husband
Female ministers 1917 - 1936
All female ministers »1937
Maternity Benefits Act
1943
Statutory school meals
1944
Act on maternity and child health clinics
1948
Adoption of the child benefit
1950
Abortion is permitted on medical grounds
Female ministers 1937 - 1956
All female ministers »1962
Convention on equal pay is ratified
1970
Abortion for social reasons is possible
1972
Contraceptive services ensured by law
1972
Council for Gender Equality is established
1973
Act on Children’s Day Care enters into force
1975
Paternity Act and Child Maintenance Act
Female ministers 1957 - 1976
All female ministers »1985
Act on home care allowance
1987
Act on Equality and Act on the Ombudsman for Equality
1988
First women priests ordained
1990
First female Minister of Defence (Elisabeth Rehn)
1991
Fathers get the right to a six-day paternity allowance
1995
A woman as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Tarja Halonen)
Female ministers 1977 - 1996
All female ministers »2000
A woman as President of the Republic (Tarja Halonen)
2001
Act on Registered Partnerships
2003
A woman as Prime Minister (Anneli Jäätteenmäki)
2007
Female majority in the Government of Finland
2015
Equal Marriage Act
2017
Finland establishes the International Gender Equality Prize (IGEP)