Minna Reijonen reinstated to Kuopio City Council amid gender equality discussions in Finland

Minna Reijonen, a member of the Finnish Parliament from the Finns Party, has been reinstated as a member of the Kuopio City Council. She was appointed to the council during a city council meeting on Monday, replacing Vuokko Hämäläinen, also from the Finns Party, who stepped down for personal reasons.

Reijonen previously served on the council for several years before leaving last spring due to parliamentary commitments. She has now accepted the role again, partly in response to gender equality considerations. Finnish legislation on gender equality requires that both men and women represent at least 40% of the city council’s total membership. Consequently, the Finns Party was obliged to nominate another woman to replace Hämäläinen.

While Reijonen acknowledges the importance of the position she has taken on, she expresses concerns regarding gender quotas. “Shouldn’t it be more important that the person is competent and skilled? I don’t think it should matter whether someone wears a skirt or pants,” she argues.