Elisabeth Rehn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minister Elisabeth Rehn VR 1
Rehn at The House of Culture in Stockholm in 2015
Special Representative and Coordinator of the Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In office 16 January 1998 – 15 July 1999
Secretary-General	Kofi Annan
Preceded by	Kai Eide
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the former Yugoslavia
In office 27 September 1995 – 15 January 1998
Secretary-General	Kofi Annan
Preceded by	Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Succeeded by	Jiří Dienstbier
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1 January 1995 – 10 November 1996
Preceded by	Position established
Minister of Defence of Finland
In office 13 June 1990 – 1 January 1995
Prime Minister	Harri Holkeri Esko Aho
Preceded by	Ole Norrback
Succeeded by	Jan-Erik Enestam
Member of the parliament of Finland for Uusimaa
In office 24 March 1979 – 23 March 1995
1987–1990	Parliamentary leader of the Swedish People's Party
Personal details
Born	Märta Elisabeth Carlberg (1935-04-06) 6 April 1935 (age 90) Helsinki, Finland
Political party	Swedish People's Party
Spouse	Ove Rehn ​ ​ (m. 1955; died 2004)​
Children	4, including Veronica Rehn-Kivi
Occupation	Politician diplomat

Elisabeth Rehn (born Märta Elisabeth Carlberg on 6 April 1935) is a famous Finnish politician and diplomat. She made history by becoming the first female Minister of Defence in Europe. She also worked for the United Nations, helping to bring peace and protect human rights.

Early Life and School Days

Elisabeth Rehn was born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1935. She grew up in a town called Mäntsälä, where her father was a community doctor. She went to school there before attending a boarding school in Kauniainen.

She studied economics at the Hanken School of Economics and earned a Master's degree in 1957. Later, she received special "honorary doctorates" from several universities. These are special titles given to people who have achieved great things.

In the early 1960s, Elisabeth was the first person in Finland to bring and sell plastic Tupperware containers.

A Career of Firsts

Elisabeth Rehn started her political career in 1979. She was elected as a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the Uusimaa area. From 1987 to 1990, she led the Swedish People's Party of Finland in parliament.

In 1990, she became the Minister of Defence for Finland. This was a very important moment because she was the first woman in Europe to hold this position. As Defence Minister, she was in charge of Finland's military and national security. During her time in office, a new law was passed that allowed women to volunteer for military service.

Her work as Defence Minister made her very popular. In 1994, she ran for President of Finland. She made it to the final round of voting but did not win.

After that, she became a Member of the European Parliament in 1995. This meant she helped make laws and decisions for the whole of Europe.

Working for Peace at the UN

Elisabeth Rehn also played a big role on the world stage. In 1995, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, asked her to become a "Special Rapporteur." This meant she investigated human rights situations in countries that used to be part of Yugoslavia. She looked into how people were being treated in places like Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.

Later, in 1998, she was given an even bigger job at the United Nations. She became a "Special Representative" and led a UN mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her job was to help bring peace and stability to the region after a difficult conflict. She was one of the first people to visit sites where many people had been buried after the Srebrenica massacre.

Helping Others

Elisabeth Rehn has always been involved in helping others and promoting good leadership. She was a key person in starting the United World College in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This school brings together young people from different backgrounds to learn and live together, promoting peace.

She was also a member of the Global Leadership Foundation. This group helps leaders around the world work towards democracy, prevent conflicts, and promote human rights. She has also been involved with other important organizations like UNICEF (which helps children) and the Finnish Red Cross.

Personal Life

Elisabeth Rehn was married to Ove Rehn from 1955 until he passed away in 2004. They had four children together, including Veronica Rehn-Kivi, who is also a member of parliament.

Elisabeth Rehn is a strong person who has overcome cancer twice. She recovered from colon cancer in the 1990s and breast cancer in 2000.

Honours and Awards

Elisabeth Rehn has received many awards and honours for her important work:

• Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st class (Finland, 2002)
• Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st class (Estonia, 2003)
• Honorary Doctorates from Hanken School of Economics (1994), Åbo Akademi University (1998), and the National Defence University (2013).