Elisabeth Rehn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Minister
Elisabeth Rehn
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Rehn at The House of Culture in Stockholm in 2015
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| Special Representative and Coordinator of the Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| In office 16 January 1998 – 15 July 1999 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Minister of Defence of Finland | |
| In office 13 June 1990 – 1 January 1995 |
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| 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 |
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| 1987–1990 | Parliamentary leader of the Swedish People's Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Märta Elisabeth Carlberg
6 April 1935 Helsinki, Finland |
| Political party | Swedish People's Party |
| Spouse |
Ove Rehn
(m. 1955; died 2004) |
| Children | 4, including Veronica Rehn-Kivi |
| Occupation |
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Elisabeth Rehn (born 6 April 1935) is a well-known Finnish politician and diplomat. She made history as the first female Minister of Defence in Finland, serving from 1990 to 1995. She also worked for the United Nations as an Under-Secretary-General from 1998 to 1999. Rehn was a member of the Finnish Parliament and the European Parliament, representing the Swedish People's Party of Finland.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elisabeth Rehn was born in Helsinki, Finland, on April 6, 1935. She grew up in a town called Mäntsälä, where her father was a community doctor. She attended a local school there before going to a boarding school in Kauniainen.
Her University Studies
In 1957, Rehn earned a Master of Science degree in economics from the Hanken School of Economics. Later, she received special "honorary doctorates" in political science from both Hanken School of Economics and Åbo Akademi University. She also has an honorary doctorate in military science from the National Defence University. These honorary degrees are special titles given to people who have achieved great things.
A Business Pioneer
In the early 1960s, Elisabeth Rehn was the first person in Finland to bring and sell plastic Tupperware containers. This showed her early skills in business and marketing.
Political Career and Key Roles
Elisabeth Rehn began her political journey when she was elected to the Finnish Parliament in 1979. She represented the Uusimaa area. From 1987 to 1990, she was the leader of the Swedish People's Party in Parliament.
Becoming Minister of Defence
In 1990, Rehn was chosen to be the Minister of Defence in the Holkeri Cabinet. This was a very important moment because she became the first woman in Europe to hold this position. She was also the sixth woman in the world to be a defence minister. When Esko Aho became Prime Minister in 1991, Rehn continued as Minister of Defence. She was also given another role: Minister of Equality Affairs. During her time as Minister of Defence, a new law was passed that allowed women to volunteer for military service in Finland.
Running for President
Elisabeth Rehn became very popular as Minister of Defence. Because of this, her party chose her to run for president in the 1994 Finnish presidential election. She did very well and made it to the final round, where she competed against Martti Ahtisaari. She received a large number of votes, showing how much support she had.
Serving in the European Parliament
From 1995 to 1996, Rehn was a member of the European Parliament (MEP). This role was created when Finland joined the European Union in 1995. She worked there until November 1996.
Work with the United Nations
In 1995, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, asked Elisabeth Rehn to become a "Special Rapporteur." Her job was to report on human rights in the former Yugoslavia region, which included countries like Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia.
After a few years in this role, she was promoted to an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. She became the Special Representative and Coordinator for the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She held this important position from January 1998 to July 1999. During her time there, she was one of the first people to visit the mass graves from the Srebrenica massacre, which was a very sad event.
Other Important Activities
Elisabeth Rehn has been involved in many other important activities. She helped start the United World College in Mostar in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with Lamija Tanović. This college helps young people from different backgrounds learn together.
She was also a member of the Global Leadership Foundation (GLF) until 2017. This organization helps support good leaders, prevent conflicts, and promote fair governments around the world. They do this by sharing the experiences of former leaders with current leaders.
Memberships and NGO Positions
Elisabeth Rehn has been a part of many different organizations and groups that work for good causes. Some of these include:
- European Leadership Network
- Femmes Africa Solidarité, an advisory board member since 2005
- Finnish Red Cross, Vice-chair from 1984 to 1988
- International Court of Justice, Trust Fund for Victims, Board of Directors member
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Court of Conciliation and Arbitration member since 1994
- UNICEF, Finnish Committee member from 1982 to 1994
- Chair of the Standing Group of the National Committees of UNICEF from 1988 to 1993
- UNIFEM
- Independent expert on women's role in peace-building from 2001 to 2003
- WWF Finland, Chair of Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2006
- Zonta International, International Honorary Member
Personal Life
Elisabeth Rehn was married to Ove Rehn from 1955 until he passed away in 2004. They had four children together: Joakim, Charlotta, Johan, and Veronica Rehn-Kivi, who is also a member of parliament.
Rehn has bravely faced and recovered from cancer twice. She recovered from colon cancer in the 1990s and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
Honours and Awards
Elisabeth Rehn has received many special honours and awards for her work and achievements.
National Honours
Finland: Order of the Cross of Liberty, 1st class (2002)
Foreign Honours
Estonia: Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st class (2003)
Awards
Axel Olof Freudenthal Medal – Gold, from the Swedish People's Party of Finland (1994)- Honorary Doctorate in Political Science, Hanken School of Economics (1994)
- Fredrika Runeberg Stipend, from the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (1996)
- Sibelius Medal, from Lions Club Jean Sibelius (1996)
- Honorary Doctorate in Political Science, Åbo Akademi University (1998)
- St. Henry's Cross, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (2013)
- Honorary Doctorate in Military Science, National Defence University (2013)
