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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 88 women have served as ministers in the governments of independent Finland. Here we present them and their achievements.

Female ministers from 1917

socialpolitik
All female ministers »
Photo of minister

Pirjo Ala-Kapee

Photo of minister

Arja Alho

Photo of minister

Li Andersson

Photo of minister

Sirkka-Liisa Anttila

Photo of minister

Inkeri Anttila

Photo of minister

Anne Berner

Photo of minister

Eva Biaudet

Photo of minister

Tuija Brax

Photo of minister

Tarja Cronberg

Photo of minister

Kaarina Dromberg

Photo of minister

Katri-Helena Eskelinen

Photo of minister

Margit Eskman

Photo of minister

Tarja Filatov

Photo of minister

Sanni Grahn-Laasonen

Photo of minister

Maria Guzenina

Photo of minister

Tuula Haatainen

Photo of minister

Tarja Halonen

Photo of minister

Satu Hassi

Photo of minister

Heidi Hautala

Photo of minister

Anna-Maja Henriksson

Photo of minister

Anne Holmlund

Photo of minister

Armi Hosia

Photo of minister

Susanna Huovinen

Photo of minister

Terttu Huttu-Juntunen

Photo of minister

Liisa Hyssälä

Photo of minister

Tuulikki Hämäläinen

Photo of minister

Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa

Photo of minister

Liisa Jaakonsaari

Photo of minister

Anneli Jäätteenmäki

Photo of minister

Meeri Kalavainen

Photo of minister

Orvokki Kangas

Photo of minister

Seija Karkinen

Photo of minister

Tanja Karpela

Photo of minister

Irma Karvikko

Photo of minister

Anna-Liisa Kasurinen

Photo of minister

Krista Kiuru

Photo of minister

Mari Kiviniemi

Photo of minister

Hanna Kosonen

Photo of minister

Katri Kulmuni

Photo of minister

Hertta Kuusinen

Photo of minister

Eeva Kuuskoski

Photo of minister

Merja Kyllönen

Photo of minister

Marja Lahti

Photo of minister

Alli Lahtinen

Photo of minister

Paula Lehtomäki

Photo of minister

Tyyne Leivo-Larsson

Photo of minister

Suvi Lindén

Photo of minister

Tuula Linnainmaa

Photo of minister

Leena Luhtanen

Photo of minister

Sinikka Luja-Penttilä

Photo of minister

Aino Malkamäki

Photo of minister

Sanna Marin

Photo of minister

Pirkko Mattila

Photo of minister

Krista Mikkonen

Photo of minister

Hanna Mäntylä

Photo of minister

Sinikka Mönkäre

Photo of minister

Maria Ohisalo

Photo of minister

Sirpa Paatero

Photo of minister

Aino-Kaisa Pekonen

Photo of minister

Maija Perho

Photo of minister

Helena Pesola

Photo of minister

Sirpa Pietikäinen

Photo of minister

Kyllikki Pohjala

Photo of minister

Hannele Pokka

Photo of minister

Ulla Puolanne

Photo of minister

Kaisa Raatikainen

Photo of minister

Maija-Liisa Rask

Photo of minister

Elisabeth Rehn

Photo of minister

Paula Risikko

Photo of minister

Pirjo Rusanen

Photo of minister

Päivi Räsänen

Photo of minister

Laura Räty

Photo of minister

Kerttu Saalasti

Photo of minister

Annika Saarikko

Photo of minister

Sari Sarkomaa

Photo of minister

Suvi-Anne Siimes

Photo of minister

Miina Sillanpää

Photo of minister

Vieno Simonen

Photo of minister

Anni Sinnemäki

Photo of minister

Kaarina Suonio

Photo of minister

Anneli Taina

Photo of minister

Vappu Taipale

Photo of minister

Astrid Thors

Photo of minister

Anna-Liisa Tiekso

Photo of minister

Lenita Toivakka

Photo of minister

Irma Toivanen

Photo of minister

Tytti Tuppurainen

Photo of minister

Pirkko Työläjärvi

Photo of minister

Riitta Uosukainen

Photo of minister

Jutta Urpilainen

Photo of minister

Anu Vehviläinen

Photo of minister

Pia Viitanen

Photo of minister

Henna Virkkunen

Photo of minister

Anne-Mari Virolainen

Photo of minister

Marjatta Väänänen

Photo of minister

Ulla-Maj Wideroos

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 »
Photo of minister

Miina Sillanpää

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 »
Photo of minister

Irma Karvikko

Photo of minister

Hertta Kuusinen

Photo of minister

Tyyne Leivo-Larsson

Photo of minister

Kerttu Saalasti

Photo of minister

Vieno Simonen

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 »
Photo of minister

Inkeri Anttila

Photo of minister

Katri-Helena Eskelinen

Photo of minister

Margit Eskman

Photo of minister

Armi Hosia

Photo of minister

Meeri Kalavainen

Photo of minister

Orvokki Kangas

Photo of minister

Seija Karkinen

Photo of minister

Irma Karvikko

Photo of minister

Marja Lahti

Photo of minister

Alli Lahtinen

Photo of minister

Tyyne Leivo-Larsson

Photo of minister

Aino Malkamäki

Photo of minister

Kyllikki Pohjala

Photo of minister

Kerttu Saalasti

Photo of minister

Vieno Simonen

Photo of minister

Anna-Liisa Tiekso

Photo of minister

Irma Toivanen

Photo of minister

Pirkko Työläjärvi

Photo of minister

Marjatta Väänänen

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 »
Photo of minister

Pirjo Ala-Kapee

Photo of minister

Arja Alho

Photo of minister

Katri-Helena Eskelinen

Photo of minister

Tarja Halonen

Photo of minister

Terttu Huttu-Juntunen

Photo of minister

Tuulikki Hämäläinen

Photo of minister

Tytti Isohookana-Asunmaa

Photo of minister

Liisa Jaakonsaari

Photo of minister

Anneli Jäätteenmäki

Photo of minister

Orvokki Kangas

Photo of minister

Anna-Liisa Kasurinen

Photo of minister

Eeva Kuuskoski

Photo of minister

Tuula Linnainmaa

Photo of minister

Sinikka Luja-Penttilä

Photo of minister

Sinikka Mönkäre

Photo of minister

Helena Pesola

Photo of minister

Sirpa Pietikäinen

Photo of minister

Hannele Pokka

Photo of minister

Ulla Puolanne

Photo of minister

Kaisa Raatikainen

Photo of minister

Elisabeth Rehn

Photo of minister

Pirjo Rusanen

Photo of minister

Kaarina Suonio

Photo of minister

Anneli Taina

Photo of minister

Vappu Taipale

Photo of minister

Irma Toivanen

Photo of minister

Pirkko Työläjärvi

Photo of minister

Riitta Uosukainen

Photo of minister

Marjatta Väänänen

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)

Female ministers 1997 -

All female ministers »
Photo of minister

Arja Alho

Photo of minister

Li Andersson

Photo of minister

Sirkka-Liisa Anttila

Photo of minister

Anne Berner

Photo of minister

Eva Biaudet

Photo of minister

Tuija Brax

Photo of minister

Tarja Cronberg

Photo of minister

Kaarina Dromberg

Photo of minister

Tarja Filatov

Photo of minister

Sanni Grahn-Laasonen

Photo of minister

Maria Guzenina

Photo of minister

Tuula Haatainen

Photo of minister

Tarja Halonen

Photo of minister

Satu Hassi

Photo of minister

Heidi Hautala

Photo of minister

Anna-Maja Henriksson

Photo of minister

Anne Holmlund

Photo of minister

Susanna Huovinen

Photo of minister

Terttu Huttu-Juntunen

Photo of minister

Liisa Hyssälä

Photo of minister

Liisa Jaakonsaari

Photo of minister

Anneli Jäätteenmäki

Photo of minister

Tanja Karpela

Photo of minister

Krista Kiuru

Photo of minister

Mari Kiviniemi

Photo of minister

Hanna Kosonen

Photo of minister

Katri Kulmuni

Photo of minister

Merja Kyllönen

Photo of minister

Paula Lehtomäki

Photo of minister

Suvi Lindén

Photo of minister

Tuula Linnainmaa

Photo of minister

Leena Luhtanen

Photo of minister

Sanna Marin

Photo of minister

Pirkko Mattila

Photo of minister

Krista Mikkonen

Photo of minister

Hanna Mäntylä

Photo of minister

Sinikka Mönkäre

Photo of minister

Maria Ohisalo

Photo of minister

Sirpa Paatero

Photo of minister

Aino-Kaisa Pekonen

Photo of minister

Maija Perho

Photo of minister

Maija-Liisa Rask

Photo of minister

Paula Risikko

Photo of minister

Päivi Räsänen

Photo of minister

Laura Räty

Photo of minister

Annika Saarikko

Photo of minister

Sari Sarkomaa

Photo of minister

Suvi-Anne Siimes

Photo of minister

Anni Sinnemäki

Photo of minister

Anneli Taina

Photo of minister

Astrid Thors

Photo of minister

Lenita Toivakka

Photo of minister

Tytti Tuppurainen

Photo of minister

Jutta Urpilainen

Photo of minister

Anu Vehviläinen

Photo of minister

Pia Viitanen

Photo of minister

Henna Virkkunen

Photo of minister

Anne-Mari Virolainen

Photo of minister

Ulla-Maj Wideroos

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