Elisabeth Rehn
Encyclopedia
Märta Elisabeth Rehn (born April 6, 1935 in Helsinki
, Finland
) is a former MP
of the Swedish People's Party and the first female Minister of Defence in Finland. In the 1994 presidential
elections she was narrowly defeated by Martti Ahtisaari
.
Elisabeth Rehn spent her childhood in Mäntsälä
, where her father worked as a community medical doctor. Rehn went to a local school in Mäntsälä
before entering a boarding school in Kauniainen
.
Rehn received the degree of Master of Science
in Economics
in 1957 and has honorary degrees in political science
from both Hanken School of Economics and Åbo Akademi University
. In the beginning of the 1960s Rehn was known to be the first person in Finland to import and market the plastic Tupperware
containers.
Rehn had a high profile as the first female Minister of Defence in Finland. In 1995, during Rehn's term as Minister of Defence, a law on voluntary female enlistment was enacted. In recent years Rehn has been known for her international assignments, as UN Under-Secretary General and as the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
Rehn is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation
, an organization which works to promote good governance
around the world.
Rehn was married to Ove Rehn from 1955 until his death, and they have four children: Veronica, Joakim, Charlotta and Johan. Ove Rehn died November 8, 2004.
Rehn is a two-time cancer
survivor. She recovered from colon cancer in the 1990s
and was diagnosed with breast cancer
in 2000.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) is a former MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
of the Swedish People's Party and the first female Minister of Defence in Finland. In the 1994 presidential
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
elections she was narrowly defeated by Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work....
.
Elisabeth Rehn spent her childhood in Mäntsälä
Mäntsälä
Mäntsälä is a municipality in the province of Southern Finland, and is part of the Uusimaa region. It has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
, where her father worked as a community medical doctor. Rehn went to a local school in Mäntsälä
Mäntsälä
Mäntsälä is a municipality in the province of Southern Finland, and is part of the Uusimaa region. It has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
before entering a boarding school in Kauniainen
Kauniainen
Kauniainen is a small town and a municipality of inhabitants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. It is surrounded by the city of Espoo, in Greater Helsinki...
.
Rehn received the degree of Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1957 and has honorary degrees in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from both Hanken School of Economics and Åbo Akademi University
Åbo Akademi University
Åbo Akademi University is a Swedish language university in Turku, Finland . , there are 7 941 students and a staff consisting of 1125 people. The university has activities not only in Turku, but also in Vaasa, Jakobstad, Helsinki and on Åland...
. In the beginning of the 1960s Rehn was known to be the first person in Finland to import and market the plastic Tupperware
Tupperware
Tupperware is the name of a home products line that includes preparation, storage, containment, and serving products for the kitchen and home, which were first introduced to the public in 1946....
containers.
Rehn had a high profile as the first female Minister of Defence in Finland. In 1995, during Rehn's term as Minister of Defence, a law on voluntary female enlistment was enacted. In recent years Rehn has been known for her international assignments, as UN Under-Secretary General and as the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
Rehn is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation
Global Leadership Foundation
The Global Leadership Foundation is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 2004 by former State President of South Africa and Nobel Prize laureate F.W. de Klerk....
, an organization which works to promote good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
around the world.
Rehn was married to Ove Rehn from 1955 until his death, and they have four children: Veronica, Joakim, Charlotta and Johan. Ove Rehn died November 8, 2004.
Rehn is a two-time cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
survivor. She recovered from colon cancer in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
and was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 2000.