The Stronger Sex

Since the beginning of the 20th Century, Finland has been at the forefront of advancing women's suffrage. In 1906, they became the first country in Europe to allow women the vote and first in the world to permit them the right to be electoral candidates. Recently they had the unique claim of having a female President, Tarja Halonen, and female Speaker of Parliament, Riitta Uosukainen, who are in positions of power to promote and protect equal rights, not only in their homeland, but also on the world stage.

Over a decade ago the Population Crisis Committee reported that Finland was one of the very best places for a woman to live, after taking into account health, educational, economic, and legal conditions that affect them. One of President Halonen's first speeches following her election victory in March 2000 stated that gender equality was one of the four main pillars of European employment policy. "We really do need the participation of women in the labour market to guarantee the competitiveness of Europe...Women are not a burden on the economy - far from it! In Finland women themselves pay more than 40% of the social welfare budget."

Further boundaries were broken in 1990 when Elisabeth Rehn became the first female Minister of Defence in the world and she was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights a few years later. Finnish women are no strangers to the political world stage with Helvi Sipilä working as a U.N. representative for over twenty years, dealing with social and human rights. In 1961 Inkeri Anttila became the first woman in Finland to hold a chair in law and later work as Minister of Justice and she has been vice chair of a committee reforming the Finnish criminal system since 1980.

Role models for Finnish women are in abundance, whether historically or culturally. During its autonomy Finland has produced women who have initiated trends, influencing generations and entertaining millions, many of which survive today. Between the talents of Armi Ratia and Annika Rimala they created Marimekko, turning stripes into a highly functional fashion that still thrives today and was once favoured by Jacqueline Kennedy.

Tove Jansson captured the imaginations of millions of children with her albino trolls, better known as the Moomins, who are popular the world over and even have their own theme park. The Finnish trolls are particularly loved in the Orient where they have even been immortalised upon cutlery - well, chopsticks - and an assortment of merchandise.

Frequently musicians and thespians from Finland are dismissed out of hand, considered unlikely to triumph in the mainstream, but there are glimmers of hope. Amidst the many hidden jewels that the Finns can boast about are celebrities such as soprano Karita Mattila, mezzo-soprano Monica Groop, composer Kaija Anneli Saariaho, singer Arja Saijonmaa, or star of Finnish cinema Liisa-Maija Laaksonen. Another of Finland's current female success arrives in the form of Vuokko Hovatta, ex-Ultra Bra singer, recent recipient of Finland Festivals Young Artist of the Year, vocalist and actress; this lady has enough string for many bows.

Despite Salt Lake City producing a respectable tally of seven Winter Olympic medals for Finland four years ago, none of them came from the women's team, which was not indicative of their ability and failed to match the standards set by past competitors. During the 1980s, Marjo Matikainen-Kallstrom won four Olympic and seven World Championship medals and is currently the chairman of the World Championships Organising Committee, plus she represents the Conservative National Coalition.

At the 1976 Montreal Games Pirjo Häggman finished fourth in the 400m and later went onto become one of the first female IOC members, while Fatima Whitbread is still haunted by the memory of Tiina Lillak, who snatched gold from her at the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. Finally, Nordic skier, Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi is one of only five athletes to have participated in six Winter Olympics and to have won seven Olympic medals in the process.

It is hardly surprising that women excel in Finland since they have such a solid historical foundation to build upon: pioneers such as Edith Södergran, Sophie Mannerheim, Aurora Karamzin and Emma Irene Åström have given confidence and self-belief to generations of girls. Total equality may still be some distance off with disproportionate salaries and women still undertaking more than double the housework than men, but while the record for the world's largest mitten - dimensions 271cm long, 99cm wide and weighs 3.5kg - is held by Finn, Ann Jonasson, there still maybe hope.

Extra:
In 2003, Anneli Jäätteenmäki became Finland's first female Prime Minister but was forced to resign after a few months in charge due to allegations of election wrongdoing, which were later proved unfounded.