Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will present the International Gender Equality Prize at Tampere Hall on Monday 11 December 2023. This distinguished recognition is awarded by the Finnish Government every two years. The prize was first awarded in 2017 to an organisation that has made a significant international contribution to gender equality. The prize amounts to €300 000.
The event will be opened by Kalervo Kummola, Mayor of the City of Tampere and Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Minister of Local and Regional Government. After the announcement of the Laureate, there will be a seminar on What about gender equality? The seminar will be opened by Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, followed by a keynote speech by CEO Janine di Giovanni on Why Can't Women End Wars? Inclusion in Conflict.
News anchor Richard Lui interviews the Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the Nordic countries, Diane Gashumba, human rights activist and former Mayor of Maidan Shahr in Afghanistan, Zarifa Ghafar, and Ukrainian journalist and producer Yuliia Shchetyna.
The Prize partner CMI ‒ Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation is organising an after event in G Livelab to discuss the role of women in peace building in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Is there a peaceful solution to the situation in Afghanistan? How can the EU and Finland contribute to sustainable peace in Afghanistan? How can women be involved when the situation has marginalised them in social debate and decision-making?
Chaired by Katri Makkonen, Senior Advisor at the Nordic West Office, Tyyne Karjalainen from the Finnish Institute for Foreign Policy will open the debate. The panel will feature Shekeba Ahmadi, a refugee from Afghanistan to Finland from the CMI Women in Peacemaking team, Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, and Nasima Razmyar, Member of Parliament for the SDP.
Around 500 nominations from around the world were submitted for the prize. The winner of the prize was decided based on a proposal from the international jury.
The jury includes human rights activist Zarifa Ghafari, Susana Malcorra, co-founder and President of GWL Voices, news anchor Richard Lui, Alexander Stubb, Chair of the Board of the CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, and actress Krista Kosonen. The jury is chaired by Saara-Sofia Sirén, President of the National Council of Women of Finland.
The International Gender Equality Prize is a government prize administered by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. In 2023, the prize will be coordinated by the City of Tampere, with CMI ‒ Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation and the National Council of Women of Finland as partners.
