HONOURABLE TARJA HALONEN.

FORMER PRESIDENT OF FINLAND.

WHY IS THE ARCTIC SO IMPORTANT?

GENDER EQUALITY CHALLENGES IN FINLAND.

GENDER IN THE WORKPLACE.

ADVICE TO YOUNG WOMEN.

INVOLVING WOMEN AND GIRLS.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND BEYOND.

WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT FINLAND AND THE ARCTIC?

BIOGRAPHY.

Tarja Halonen served two terms as President of Finland from 2000 to 2012. During her presidency, she was co-chair of the United Nations Millennium Summit, co-chair of the Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, co-chair of the UN High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders.

Prior to her election, she served as Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Minister of Justice, and Minister for Foreign Affairs. Over her political career, which began in 1974, President Halonen has paid close attention to promotion of democracy, human rights, and the role of civil society. Strengthening social justice and gender equality have been central themes.

President Halonen has been actively engaged with non-governmental organizations and trade unions. She is also Chair of the Board of the University of Helsinki. After her exit from the office, the TH Global Sustainability Foundation was established in 2012 to promote the work of President Halonen in the field of sustainable development.

She continues to work closely with the UN, and is currently member of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation. Among other duties, she is also alternate co-chair of the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) Movement’s Steering Group, UN Global Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and UN Drylands Ambassador.

AUDIO.

These videos are a part of a series of interviews conducted at “Women of the Arctic: Bridging Policy, Research, and Lived Experience”, a non-academic event co-organized with the UArctic and hosted by the 2018 UArctic Congress at the University of Helsinki 
on September 6-7, 2018.