Miina Sillanpää

Miina Sillanpää (originally Vilhelmiina Riktig, ) was a Finnish politician. She served as Deputy Minister of Social Affairs in 1926–1927. She was Finland's first female minister and a key figure in the workers' movement. In 2016, the Finnish government made 1 October an official flag flying day in honour of Sillanpää.

Life Sillanpää was born in Jokioinen, during the famine years, to peasants Juho and Leena (née Roth) Riktig, who had nine children. She started her work career at the age of twelve at the Forssa cotton factory, and later in the Jokioinen nail factory. At the age of 18 she moved to Porvoo to work as a maid and changed her name from Vilhelmiina Riktig to Miina Sillanpää. In 1898 she started and three years later she became the director of the Servants' Association. She held this position for about 50 years.

Member of parliament Miina Sillanpää was one of the first nineteen female members of the Parliament of Finland, who were elected in 1907.

Journalistic career Sillanpää was also a journalist. She worked as editor of the Palvelijatar ("female servant") magazine from 1905 to 1906, in the Työläisnainen ("working woman") magazine from 1907 to 1916, and in the Toveritar ("female comrade") magazine from 1922 to 1943.

Literature

Oma Mäkikossa: Yhteiskunnalle omistettu elämä. Miina Sillanpään elämän ja työn vaiheita. (Tammi 1947) Martta Salmela-Järvinen: Miina Sillanpää, legenda jo eläessään. (WSOY-Porvoo 1973) Miina Sillanpään bibliografia. (Publications of the Miina Sillanpää foundation A:1. Vammalan Kirjapaina 1989)