I live and act in Tampere, the pivot of Finland. Besides the politics, my hobbies include swimming, dancing, literature, and taking care of plants. The sports and art hobbies of my children (Kari -95, Ronja -97, and Joel -04) demand quite some engagement, too.

I am occupied as a researcher at the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology of the University of Tampere. In my Master’s thesis I studied the leftwing student activism of the 1970s, and at the moment I am writing my dissertation on prostitution. Nevertheless, being a researcher does not mean locking oneself into a study chamber – I travel a lot around Finland and Europe giving talks and lectures.

In 2005, I took a post at the City Council of Tampere. I am also a member of the Left Alliance’s (Vasemmistoliitto) Party Council and the vice-chairwoman of the Left Alliance in Pirkanmaa. Leftwing ideology has been a part of my life since I was a little pioneer in the 1970s.

For a leftwing politician, the NGOs and especially the trade unions are an important place to use one’s influence and to get further influenced by other committed people. I am a member of the Service Union United PAM in SAK (The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions). My trade union activities have concentrated particularly on the new challenges caused by the contemporary changes in working life.

Next to the academics, I have also written popular texts and taken part in formulating various political programs. One of my most important projects has been “The Makers of the Future”-working group of Sitra – The Finnish Innovation Fund. The project was aimed at drafting outlines for what Finland could be in 2015.

The easiest way to contact me is to send an e-mail.