Elisabeth Rehn
| Elisabeth Rehn | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office
1990-1995 | |
| Prime-minister | Harri Holkeri, Esko Aho |
| Preceded by | Ole Norrback |
| Succeeded by | Jan-Erik Enestam |
| Undersecretary General of the United Nations | |
| In office | 1995–1999 |
| Preceded by | Kofi Annan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 April 1935 (age 79)
Helsinki, Finland |
| Political party | Swedish People's Party |
| Spouse(s) | Ove Rehn |
| Profession | Politician |
Elisabeth Rehn was born on 6 April 1935 in Helsinki, Finland. She spent her childhood in Mäntsälä and went to a local school before going to a boarding school in Kauniainen. She is a Swedish People's Party Politician who has four children.
Political Career
As a member of the Swedish People's Party, a Swedish-speaking minority and mainly liberal party in Finland, Elisabeth Rehn served as a Member of Parliament in Finland between 1979 and 1995. She was Finland’s first female Minister of Defence between 1990 and 1995, and during her term a law on voluntary female enlistment was enacted. Ms. Rehn also served as Minister of Equality Affairs (between 1991 and 1995) and stood as a Presidential candidate in 1994 and 2000. She was a Member of the European Parliament between 1995 and 1996. Elisabeth Rehn has also been a Member of UNICEF, Finnish Committee between 1982 and 1995, chairing the Committee between 1988 and 1993.
In 1995 she was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in The Republic of Croatia, FRY, Bosnia and Herzegovina and FYROM, a post she held for three years until 1998, when she was appointed UN Under-Secretary-General, Special Representative of Secretary-General in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Education
Rehn received a Master's degree in economics in 1957 and has honorary degrees in political science from both Hanken School of Economics and Åbo Akademi University.
Notable Work
Minister Rhen continued to be active after her public service. Between 2000 and 2006 she was Chair of WWF, Finland and between 2003 and 2005 served as Vice Chair of the Board of Suomen Unifemry. She was a UNIFEM Independent Expert on the impact of war on women and co-authored the report “Women, War, Peace” with Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2001-02. In 2003 she participated in a working group titled Democratisation and Human Rights for the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, and in 2004 was appointed by the UNDP to provide an Independent Expert Review on the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People in the Occupied Territories. Elisabeth Rehn is frequently engaged as an independent expert on crisis management, and the role of women in the peace processes, mainly for UN, the Government of Finland and other governments. She has delivered numerous official addresses and published a range of articles, and has received national and international honours and awards.
