International Gender Equality Prize will be awarded in Tampere, Finland on 8 December
The International Gender Equality Prize will be awarded for the fifth time at a ceremony in Tampere on 8 December. The prize is awarded to a person or organisation that has made a significant international contribution to gender equality. In 2025, the prize amounts to €300 000. The prize will be awarded by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
PROGRAMME
Ilmari Nurminen, Mayor of Tampere
Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Minister of Social Security
Diene Keita, Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund UNFPA, Video greeting
Smarika Pokharel, Member of the Youth Advisory Council of Plan International Nepal
Tero Harjunniemi, Tenor & Vesa Penttilä, Accordion
Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister
Saara-Sofia Sirén, Chair of the 2025 Prize Jury
International Gender Equality Prize Laureate/-s
The event is hosted by Kelly Keodara.
The prize ceremony is by invitation only. You can follow the event live at Yle Areena (Yle Areena) from 5.30 pm (UTC+2). The programme is in English, no subtitles.
The speakers
Ilmari Nurminen
Mayor of the City of Tampere
Ilmari Nurminen is the Mayor of Tampere, Finland’s second city and its industrial heart, since June 2025. Nurminen previously served as a Member of Finnish Parliament for the Pirkanmaa constituency from 2015 to 2025, becoming the first MP born in 1990s. Nurminen previously chaired the Tampere City Council from 2021-2025.
As mayor, Nurminen advocates for strengthening the city's economy, promoting employment, ensuring fiscal balance, and prioritizing the well-being of the elderly, children, and youth.
Sanni Grahn-Laasonen
Minister of Social Security
Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (born 4 May 1983 in Forssa) has been a member of the Finnish Parliament since 2011 and currently serves as a minister in the third government. She has held the positions of Minister of the Environment (2014–2015), Minister of Education and Culture (2015–2017), and Minister of Education (2017–2019).
Grahn-Laasonen holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and has served as Vice Chair of the National Coalition Party, as well as in several leadership roles, including Chair of the Kanta-Häme Welfare Area Council and Chair of the Board of the New Children’s Hospital Support Foundation. She is also a member of Forssa City Council.
Before her political career, Grahn-Laasonen worked as a journalist, correspondent in Stockholm, news editor, and press secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
She lives with her husband and two children, and in her free time she enjoys cultural activities, spending time outdoors, reading, and visiting flea markets.
Smarika Pokharel
Member of the Youth Advisory Council of Plan International Nepal
Smarika, a young social sciences student, believes in using her knowledge to empower marginalised communities and create an equitable world. Her experience as a storyteller at Canopy Nepal enhances her ability to share captivating stories. She has been mentored by the British Council Nepal’s country director and other international leaders, providing her with a valuable network. Smarika has also worked as a podcast narrator for political literacy, an advocate in videos for the Blind Youth Association Nepal, and a freelance writer, translator, interpreter, and voice-over artist. Her project on legal awareness of child sexual abuse among children gives her practical experience in this area.
As a person with a disability- blind, she brings a unique perspective and accessibility ideas to the team, strengthening their pursuit of equity. She is Youth Advisory Council Member of Plan International Nepal and Youth Sounding Board member of European Union in Nepal. She has fluent English, critical and analytical skills and has represented Plan International Nepal in Global Youth Meet 2025 organized by Plan International in Germany.
Petteri Orpo
Prime Minister of Finland
Orpo holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Turku, with a major in Economics. He was first elected to the Finnish Parliament in 2007 and has served on several committees as well as chairing the National Coalition Party’s parliamentary group.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Orpo served as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (2014–2015), Minister of the Interior (2015–2016), and Minister of Finance (2016–2019). He was elected leader of the National Coalition Party in 2016.
Orpo lives in Turku with his family, which includes his wife Niina, two young children, and their Italian Water Dogs, Pessi and Taavi. In his free time, he enjoys exercising, hunting, fishing, and reading.
Saara-Sofia Sirén
Chair of the 2025 Prize Jury
Saara-Sofia Sirén is a Member of Parliament and the chairperson of the Grand Committee at the Parliament of Finland. She has previously worked as the chairperson of the Employment and Equality Committee.
Sirén has actively worked to advance gender equality in several NGOs. At the moment, she is the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender. Previously, she has been the president of the National Council of Women of Finland.
Kelly Keodara
Kelly Keodara is the Founder of Bloom Finland, a platform dedicated to building inclusive communities and empowering diverse voices. With a background in media education and global leadership, Kelly blends strategic communication with deep empathy to create spaces where equity and belonging thrive. Her work challenges norms, uplifts underrepresented perspectives, and sparks meaningful dialogue — making her a bold advocate for gender equality and social transformation.
Tero Harjunniemi
Tenor
Tero Harjunniemi is a freelancer-Tenor from Tampere. After studying in Conservatorium of Tampere and through private lessons from several teachers in Finland, Germany and Italy, he has made his career in Finland visiting e.g. Finnish National Opera, Operas from Tampere, Pori, Oulu and Kokkola, Theaters from Tampere, Kotka, Imatra and the Comedy Theatre of Tampere. His versatile repertoire consists of musical, opera, operetta, italian songs, churchly works and his own productions.
Vesa Penttilä
Accordion
Vesa Penttilä, an accordionist from Teisko, has been captivating audiences in the Pirkanmaa region for decades with his deeply expressive performances. His extensive experience in male choir singing and theater further enriches his ability to bring music to life with genuine passion and heartfelt emotion.