News
UNIFEM Saddened by the Passing of Helvi Sipilä, UN Stalwart and Champion of Women’s Rights
Date: 22 May 2009
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UNIFEM is saddened by the passing of Helvi Sipilä on 15 May 2009 in Helsinki, Finland, at the age of 94. A Finnish national, Ms. Sipilä was a global figure and champion of women’s rights who worked throughout her career to advance women’s empowerment.
“Ms. Sipilä’s leadership and work is legendary. She was a global figure and a great inspiration to many in the women’s rights movement and within the United Nations system. Her work will continue to influence and shape many generations of women,” said Ines Alberdi, Executive Director UNIFEM.
Ms. Sipilä, came to the United Nations from a distinguished career as a barrister, making space in the mid-1940s for women in a field which had very few women. Having established her own law firm in 1943, she went on to become the President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers. She was Finland's delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women several times since 1960, and served as the Chair of the Commission in 1967. In 1972 she became the first woman to hold the rank of Assistant Secretary-General at the UN, followed by her appointment as Secretary-General of the first World Conference on Women in Mexico City in 1975, which led to the establishment of UNIFEM in 1976.
Ms. Sipilä remained active after retiring from the United Nations, and founded the UNIFEM National Committee in Finland in 1981. She was the first woman to run for President in Finland in 1982. At the 50th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2006, the Helvi Sipilä Seminar was established to honor Ms. Sipilä’s contributions in national and international arenas.
Helvi Sipilä’s life exemplifies the strength of women’s leadership and will continue to inspire women’s work and efforts to advance gender equality.
