Vieno Simonen

{{Short description|Finnish politician and farmer (1898–1994)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Vieno Simonen

| image = Vieno Simonen.jpg

| alt = Photograph of Simonen

| office1 = Finland Minister of Social Affairs

| term_start1 = 13 January 1959

| term_end1 = 13 April 1962

| primeminister1 = {{plainlist|

}}

| office2 = Member of the Parliament of Finland

| term_start2 = 22 July 1948

| term_end2 = 19 February 1962

| constituency2 = Kuopio East

| birth_name = Vieno Vartiainen

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1898|12|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Peräseinäjoki, Finland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1994|06|20|1898|12|27|df=yes}}

| death_place = Pyhäselkä, Finland

| party = Agrarian League

| spouse = {{marriage|Oskar Simonen|1922|1938|reason=died}}

| children = 7

}}

Vieno Simonen ({{nee}} Vartiainen; 27 December 1898 – 20 June 1994) was a Finnish politician and farmer. A member of the Agrarian League, she represented Kuopio East in the Parliament of Finland from 1948 to 1962. After serving in deputy ministerial positions in the Kekkonen IV, Törngren, and Fagerholm II cabinets, she was twice appointed as minister of social affairs by prime ministers V. J. Sukselainen and Martti Miettunen, and held the position from 1959 to 1962.

Early life

Vieno Vartiainen was born on 27 December 1898 in Peräseinäjoki, Finland.{{cite news |title=Vieno Simonen |url=https://www.hs.fi/muistot/art-2000002627800.html |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Helsingin Sanomat |date=20 June 1994 |language=fi |url-access=subscription |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410204037/https://www.hs.fi/muistot/art-2000002627800.html |url-status=live }} She attended a girls' school until 1914 and trained at a handicraft school in Kuopio.{{cite web |title=Vieno Simonen |url=https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/kansanedustajat/Sivut/911504.aspx |publisher=Eduskunta Riksdagen |access-date=10 April 2021 |language=fi |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501222739/https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/kansanedustajat/Sivut/911504.aspx |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Vieno Simonen |url=https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/governments/minister/-/m/vieno-simonen |publisher=Finnish Government |access-date=10 April 2021 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410204038/https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/governments/minister/-/m/vieno-simonen |url-status=live }} After training as a postal worker in Pulkkila and Iisalmi, she was certified in 1921 and began working at the post office of {{ill|Hammaslahti|fi}}. She became the treasurer of the Martha organisation of Hammaslahti that year, and married farmer Oskar Simonen in 1922; they had seven children. After Oskar's death in 1938, the farm's responsibilities were assumed by Vieno, who had been the farm's hostess since their marriage.{{cite web |title=Vieno Simonen |url=https://www.martat.fi/martat/marttaperinne/henkilot/marttaliiton-puheenjohtajat/vieno-simonen/ |publisher=Martat |access-date=10 April 2021 |language=fi |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410204042/https://www.martat.fi/martat/marttaperinne/henkilot/marttaliiton-puheenjohtajat/vieno-simonen/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Marjomaa |first1=Ulpu |title=Simonen, Vieno (1898–1994) |url=https://kansallisbiografia.fi/kansallisbiografia/henkilo/983 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Kansallisbiografia |publisher=SKS Henkilöhistoria |date=9 October 2006 |language=fi |url-access=subscription |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410204038/https://kansallisbiografia.fi/kansallisbiografia/henkilo/983 |url-status=live }} She was involved in various organizations, including Lotta Svärd, during the 1940s.

Political career

Simonen was elected to the Parliament of Finland in 1948 to represent the constituency of Kuopio East (now North Karelia) as a member of the Agrarian League (now the Centre Party). She was a member of the Parliament from 22 July 1948 to 19 February 1962, and sat on various parliamentary committees, including the Education and Finance committees. Simonen was also a Finnish representative to the Nordic Council. Her parliamentary work focused on providing support to women and poor families, particularly those living in rural areas.

In 1953, Simonen was appointed second minister of social affairs by prime minister Urho Kekkonen, becoming the first female government minister from a non-socialist party in Finland.{{cite news |title=Finn Cabinet Is Completed By Kekkonen |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/152553029 |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=The Washington Post |date=10 July 1953 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=1 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501222717/https://www.proquest.com/docview/152553029 |id={{ProQuest|152553029}} |url-status=live }} She was reappointed to the same position the following year when Ralf Törngren became prime minister. In 1956, prime minister Karl-August Fagerholm selected her as the second minister of agriculture in his second cabinet. Simonen worked on a 1957 reform of Finland's national pension system to authorize a flat-rate payments to women farmers. From 13 January 1959 to 13 April 1962, she was the minister of social affairs in the cabinets of prime ministers V. J. Sukselainen and Martti Miettunen.{{cite web |title=Ministerin tiedot: Simonen, Vieno |url=https://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/historiaa/hallitukset-ja-ministerit/raportti/-/r/m2/485 |publisher=Valtioneuvosto Statsrådet |access-date=10 April 2021 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410204044/https://valtioneuvosto.fi/tietoa/historiaa/hallitukset-ja-ministerit/raportti/-/r/m2/485 |url-status=live }} As minister, Simonen continued her efforts to reform Finland's social welfare services.

Simonen was a presidential elector in 1950, 1956, and 1962. She did not seek re-election to Parliament in the 1962 elections, but remained active in the Martha organisation.

Death

Simonen died on 20 June 1994 in Pyhäselkä, at the age of 95.

See also

References