MFA: Executive Director of UN Women to visit Finland

During the visit, she will have meetings with President Sauli Niinistö, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Päivi Sillanaukee. Under-Secretary of State for Development Policy Elina Kalkku will hold the annual consultations between Finland and UN Women with the Executive Director at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The consultations will focus on the broad-based cooperation between Finland and UN Women. Finland is one of UN Women's most important partners of cooperation and among its biggest contributors. Promoting the rights and status of women and girls is included in Finland's foreign policy priorities.

The session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which will be held in March, will also be discussed. The session's priority theme will be the importance of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The availability of health services, for example, has a significant impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights, which Finland promotes in its development policy.

President Niinistö belongs to UN Women's HeForShe IMPACT Champions group of world leaders. The members of the group are committed to promoting gender equality and to encouraging men and boys to take part in equality work.

Inquiries: Henna Knuuttila, Desk Officer, Unit for Sustainable Development and Climate Policy, tel. +358 295 350 246, Eija Palosuo, Communications Officer, tel. +358 295 351 961 (requests for interview)

The Foreign Ministry's email addresses are of the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.