HUMAN RIGHTS | Defending human dignity
10 April 2008
Even Finland Needs Women’s Rights Activists
Ulla Anttila fights human trafficking, supports rights of the disabled
Washington -- Women in Finland, the first European country to grant women the vote, have enjoyed more rights for a longer time than most women around the world. Even so, there are battles women must fight and Ulla Anttila has been fighting them.
As a member of Finland’s Parliament from 1992 to 2007, Anttila took the lead as the chair of that body’s Human Rights Caucus on a variety of women’s issues at home and abroad.
In particular, Anttila’s work to combat human trafficking in the Nordic-Baltic region helped transform the Finnish government’s approach to this critical problem. Anttila’s efforts to raise public awareness and to campaign for change significantly shifted public perceptions and government policy.
As a result, Finland is a leader in fighting human trafficking in its region and in the European Union. Finland’s improved ranking in the United States’ annual Trafficking in Person Report reflects these changes.
Anttila also has been a vocal advocate for the rights of the disabled, chairing the Finnish Parliament’s Group for Disabled People. Inspired by her oldest daughter, Allie (who has several disabilities), Anttila fought to raise Finnish society’s awareness of the thousands of children and adults living with disabilities.
Anttila drafted and sponsored legislation to require access for the disabled to all public buildings, apartments and public transportation, including smaller and rural bus stops. She led the effort to pass the legislation and then kept pressure on Finland’s government for several years until it budgeted funds to implement the law.
In March 2007, Anttila declined to seek another term in Parliament, becoming instead the first civilian to enroll for a doctorate in military sciences at Finland’s National Defense University (NDU). She now is working at NDU’s Department of Education on her thesis on crisis management and is serving on the city council in Vantaa.
For her outstanding activism, Anttila was nominated in 2007 for the U.S. Secretary of State’s Women of Courage Award. The award arose from Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s desire to recognize women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in promoting women’s rights and advancement.
