who was Finland’s first female prime minister
The first female prime minister of Finland was Anneli Jäätteenmäki. She served as prime minister for a short time in 2003. Jäätteenmäki is a significant figure in Finnish political history, as her appointment as prime minister broke gender barriers and paved the way for other women to hold high political positions.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki’s background
Anneli Jäätteenmäki was born on February 11, 1955 in the city of Lapua. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Helsinki in 1980. Before his political career, Jäätteenmäki worked as a lawyer and, among other things, worked for the Ministry of Justice.
Political career
Jäätteenmäki joined Suomen Keskusta (Center Party) and quickly rose to leadership positions in the party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2004 and again from 2007. Jäätteenmäki was also Minister of Justice in Esko Aho’s government in 1994–1995.
Prime ministerial term
In the 2003 parliamentary elections, Finland Center became the largest party, and Anneli Jäätteenmäki was elected prime minister. She thus became Finland’s first female prime minister. His government was formed from the coalition of Keskusta, SDP and RKP.
A short prime ministerial term
However, Jäätteenmäki’s term as prime minister was short. He had to resign already in June 2003 because of the so-called “Iraq-gate”. The scandal was related to the fact that Jäätteenmäki allegedly received confidential documents concerning Finland’s foreign policy and the Iraq war, and used them in his election campaign.
Impact of Jäätteenmäki
Although Anneli Jäätteenmäki’s term as prime minister was short, her appointment was a significant step towards gender equality in Finnish politics. After her, several women have held important political positions, including the office of Prime Minister.
