Miina Sillanpää

Miina Sillanpää (at the origin Vilhelmiina Riktig), (born the June 4th 1866 with Jokioinen - died the April 3rd 1952 with Helsinki) was the first woman minister and an important figure of the labor movement Finnish.

Childhood

Miina Sillanpää was born during the years from famine (1860 - 1868) in the family from the peasants Juho and Leena (born Roth) Riktig. In the family, there were nine children. She started to work at the age of 12 in the cotton factory of the city close to her commune of origin, Forssa, and later in the nail factory of Jokioinen. At the age of 18, it left in Porvoo, to work there as good and at the same time it changed its name of Vilhelmiina Riktig into Miina Sillanpää.

In the years 1900 with 1915, it worked like the person in charge of the house of association of the workers and maidservants of Helsinki and also with the agency of use of this association. Sillanpää was inspector of the restaurants and coffees of the co-operative of Elanto (in Helsinki) of the 1916 with 1932 and secretary of the association of the workers of the social democrat party of 1932 with 1936.

Miina Sillanpää did not do many studies - it was rather autodidact. It benefitted only from one occasional school (kiertokoulu) and from the school of the factory.

Sillanpää received the honorary title of “economic adviser” in 1939, and in 1949 it received an honorary reward for its work with the life of the hand of the president of Finland Juho Kusti Paasikivi.

Social democrat

Miina Sillanpää was not a theorician of the policy, but militant in the activities of the social democrat movement. It particularly made countryside for the law the labor and the woman alones (in the Années 1930, it was very active in the organization of Ensikoti, which lodged the mothers alone with children). It was a member of the group of the activists of the social democrat party especially of 1918 with 1919 and of 1933 with 1940, and ella also worked as president of the association of the women social-democrats.

During the civil war of Filande in 1918, Mrs. Sillanpää kept a low profile and kept its reputation also among the conservatives. Sillanpää also took part in the municipal policy of Helsinki.

Parliamentary career

Miina Sillanpää was one of the first nineteen members (200) female of the Parliament of Finland, who were elected in 1907. The reform of the right to vote allowed the eligibility of the women then at the same time as that of the men. Mrs. Sillanpää made a career of member of Parliament during 38 years: 1907 - 1910, 1914 - 1914, 1917 - 1917, 1919 - 1932 and 1936 - 1947.

After the legislative elections of 1926, Mr. Väinö Tammer which was social democrat, like Mrs. Sillanpää, named it at the post of minister of the social affairs in its government which sat in Finland during two years. Thus Mrs. Sillanpää became the first woman Minister of Finland and perhaps for the whole world.

Sillanpää was elected member of the large council of the voters which has, until in 2000, elected the president of Finland, therefore it filled this duty in 1925, 1931, 1937, 1940 and 1943.

Journalist

Miina Sillanpää was also journalist. She worked as writer with the magazine Palvelijatar (“Domestic female”) of 1905 with 1906, with the magazine Työläisnainen (the “Worker activates”) 1907 with 1916, and with the magazine Toveritar (the “Comrade”) of 1922 with 1943.

Sources

Oma Mäkikossa, Yhteiskunnalle omistettu elämä. Miina Sillanpään elämän ja työn vaiheita , Tammi 1947
Martta Salmela-Järvinen, Miina Sillanpää, captioned OJ eläessään , WSOY-Porvoo 1973
Irma Sulkunen, Naisen kutsumus Miina Sillanpää ja sukupuolten maailmojen erkaantuminen , Hanki ja jää, 1989
Miina Sillanpään bibliografia. Miina Sillanpään Säätiön julkaisusarja has: 1. Vammalan Kirjapaino 1989

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