Sinikka Mönkäre

{{Short description|Finnish physician and politician (born 1947)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Sinikka Mönkäre.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption =

| office = Minister of Social Affairs and Health

| primeminister = Paavo Lipponen

| predecessor = Jorma Huuhtanen

| successor = Maija Perho

| term_start = 13 April 1995

| term_end = 14 April 1999

| primeminister1 = Anneli Jäätteenmäki
Matti Vanhanen

| term_start1 = 17 April 2003

| term_end1 = 19 April 2007

| predecessor1 = Maija Perho

| successor1 = Tuula Haatainen

| office2 = Minister of Labour

| primeminister2 = Paavo Lipponen

| predecessor2 = Liisa Jaakonsaari

| successor2 = Tarja Filatov

| term_start2 = 15 April 1999

| term_end2 = 24 February 2000

| office3 = Minister of Trade and Industry

| primeminister3 = Paavo Lipponen

| predecessor3 = Erkki Tuomioja

| successor3 = Mauri Pekkarinen

| term_start3 = 25 February 2000

| term_end3 = 16 April 2003

| birth_name = Taru Sinikka Mönkäre

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|3|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sippola, Finland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Social Democratic Party

}}

Sinikka Mönkäre (born 6 March 1947) is a Finnish physician and politician who served as minister in different cabinets of Finland.

Early life and education

Mönkäre was born in Sippola on 6 March 1947.{{cite web|title=Finland|url=http://vipsgov.chez.com/finland.htm|publisher=VIPS|access-date=1 June 2013}} She has a PhD in medicine and surgery.

Career

Mönkäre worked at different hospitals. From 1981 to 1995 she served at the Imatra city council in various capacities. She became a member of the Finnish Parliament in 1987 and served there until 1991.

She is a member of the Social Democratic Party.{{cite news|title=SDP Shuffles Government Ministers|url=https://yle.fi/a/3-5218813|access-date=8 June 2023|work=YLE News|date=8 September 2005}} She held different ministerial roles. Her first ministerial post was the minister of social affairs and health and minister in the ministry of environment (housing) (1995–1999). She was the minister of labour from 1999 to 2000.{{cite web|publisher=Valtioneuvosto.fi|access-date=14 April 2018

|url=http://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/historiaa/hallitukset-ja-ministerit/raportti/-/r/v9l/38|title=Finnish Government - Ministers of Labor}} Then she served as the minister of trade and industry from 2000 to 2003.{{cite web|title=Finland Ministers|url=http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Finland.htm|publisher=Women Leaders|access-date=1 June 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/historiaa/hallitukset-ja-ministerit/raportti/-/r/v9l/6|title=Finnish Government - Ministers of Trade and Industry|publisher=Valtioneuvosto.fi|access-date=30 March 2018}} During her term she supported the construction of a new nuclear power plant.{{cite magazine|author=Renate Nimtz-Köster|title=Finland Raises Eyebrows with New Nuclear Reactor|url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/europe-s-nuclear-debate-finland-raises-eyebrows-with-new-nuclear-reactor-a-386451.html|access-date=8 June 2023|magazine=Der Spiegel|date=21 November 2005}}{{cite news|title=Finnish Nuke Moving Ahead|url=http://www.energyonline.com/Industry/News.aspx?NewsID=5721&Finnish_Nuke_Moving_Ahead |access-date=8 June 2023 |work=LGC Energy Online|date=20 March 2002}} She was appointed minister of social affairs and health to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki on 17 April 2003.{{cite web|title=Jäätteenmäki's Government appointed|url=http://www.finlande.be/public/default.aspx?contentlan=3&culture=sv-FI&nodeid=37453&contentid=93715|publisher=Finnish Embassy|access-date=1 June 2013|date=9 May 2003}} On 23 September 2005, she was removed from office upon her request and replaced by Tuula Haatainen in the post.

Mönkäre was appointed managing director of the state-run Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY) in 2006.{{cite news

|title=Police question Slot Machine Association management|newspaper=Helsingin Sanomat|date=4 October 2010

|url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Police+question+Slot+Machine+Association+management/1135269619856|access-date=1 June 2013}} In April 2009, she became a member of the executive committee of the RAY.{{cite web|title=Hannu Salokorpi appointed Deputy Managing Director of RAY|url=https://www.ray.fi/en/ray/current/archive/hannu-salokorpi-appointed-deputy-managing-director-ray|publisher=RAY|access-date=1 June 2013|date=7 October 2008}} She was appointed board member for the University of Turku in February 2010.{{cite web|author=Ulla Willberg

|title=Financial management is the greatest challenge for the new university Boards|url=http://www.aka.fi/en-GB/A/Academy-of-Finland/Media-services/Press-releases/News/Financial-management-is-the-greatest-challenge-for-the-new-university-Boards/|publisher=Academy of Finland|access-date=1 June 2013|format=Press release|date=3 February 2010}} She is also a member of ilmarinen’s supervisory board from 2010.{{cite journal|title=Corporate Governance|journal=Ilmarinen|year=2011|url=http://vuosikertomus.ilmarinen.fi/sites/default/files/documents/ilmarinen_cg_11_en.pdf|access-date=1 June 2013}}