Tiedenaisia - Vetenskapskvinnor

Science is sometimes defined as a way of seeing things. Women still far too often constitute a "blind spot" in the vision of the scientific community.

Veronica Stolte-Heiskanen in Women in Science - Token Women or Gender Equality (1991).

Women in Finland, as elsewhere in the world, have for a long time been involved in academic research. However, very often their work has been shadowed by the achievements of their male colleagues. This online exhibition is dedicated to the past and present generations of women academics in Finland. These pages feature the pioneering individuals who opened up academic careers for women, and bring to light the achievements of women who worked behind the scenes as research assistants, laboratory and field workers and as research associates to their husbands.

These pages contain personal biographies of female scholars as well as general information on the status of women in the Finnish academic world. The pages are organised chronogically and according to academic fields, without forgetting an index of names. This online exhibition was constructed in connection with the exhibition Women of Learning, mounted in cooperation between the Helsinki University Library and the Christina Institute of Women's Studies in 2000. This site will be permanently available and updated on a regular basis.

Exhibition working group: Liisa Husu, Eva Isaksson, Elina Katainen, Kristina Linnovaara, Marja Nykänen, Eeva Peltonen, Esko Rahikainen, Päivi Setälä, Päivi Salmesvuori.

Graphic design: Anna Tuovinen
Photo scanning: Kari Timonen

Swedish translation: Christoffer von Bonsdorff, Mari Voipio
English translation: Irma Hallberg-Rautalin, Nancy Seidel, Margot Whiting.

The exhibition has been sponsored by the City of Culture Foundation, the Academy of Finland and the University of Helsinki.

Please send comments to: tiedenaiset-palaute@helsinki.fi

Exhibition team members 8.5.2000:
Front, from left: Marja Nykänen, Liisa Husu, Maarit Inbar, Elina Katainen.
Back: Eva Isaksson, Eeva Peltonen, Esko Rahikainen, Kristina Linnovaara.

Helsinki was one of the European Cities of Culture in 2000. The exhibition Women of Learning belonged to the official programme of the cultural year.