A Kurdish Woman is Elected to the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations
On Thursday, November 12, 2026, the Federation of Kurdish Diaspora Women (Kurdistan Diaspora Naisten Liitto) marked a historic milestone for Kurdish women in the diaspora during the annual congress and 115th-anniversary celebration of the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations (Naisjärjestöjen Keskusliitto) in Helsinki.
The Federation’s delegation, led by its President Ms. Shirin Jundi Zaki and accompanied by Ms. Media, Head of the Finland Committee, and Ms. Gazale Giray-Öngörür, attended the congress as an official member organization with full voting rights.
During the congress, among 73 women’s organizations and federations across Finland, the representative of the Federation of Kurdish Diaspora Women, Ms. Gazale Giray-Öngörür, was elected by a majority vote to serve on the coalition’s board of directors for the three-year term from 2027 to 2029.
Throughout the 115-year history of the Coalition of Finnish Women’s Associations—the largest umbrella women’s organization in the Nordic countries, which has worked tirelessly for over a century for women’s rights and gender equality—this is the first time a representative of a Kurdish women’s organization has secured a seat on its executive board.
At the same congress, Ms. Ritva Viljanen was elected as the new President of the coalition. Alongside Ms. Gazale, Ms. Mervi Mäki-Neste (Maa- ja kotitalousnaiset), Ms. Elina Pokki (Kuurojen Liitto ry), and Ms. Salla Roni-Poranen (Soroptimist International Finland ry) were elected as new board members. The new board will officially assume its duties on January 1, 2027.
While congratulating Ms. Gazale, the new president, and all newly elected board members, the Federation of Kurdish Diaspora Women thanked the participating organizations for their trust and stated that this victory is an achievement for all Kurdish women in Finland and the wider diaspora, ensuring that the voice of Kurdish women is heard even more strongly in high-level decision-making centers.
