“Reluctance to put oneself in another person’s shoes in an obstacle to equality” – Minna Canth Equality Award presented to Katariina Räikkönen
Through the Minna Canth Award, the Department of Teacher Education honors Minna Canth’s legacy and promotes educational equality. The award is presented annually to an individual who has done significant work to promote equality and equity, particularly from an educational perspective.
In her speech, Sirpa Eskelä-Haapanen, Head of the Department of Teacher Education, emphasized the relevance and significance of Minna Canth even today.
“Canth’s influence on Finnish society and education is immense. She courageously championed educational opportunities for all children, especially girls and the underprivileged, at a time when this was not a given,” Eskelä-Haapanen said.
According to her, Canth’s legacy lives on in the work being done to promote more equitable education.
“Minna Canth is a figure with whom generation after generation can identify and draw strength and hope from, envisioning a world where everyone can live a meaningful life together with others.”
A courageous voice for a more inclusive society
Katariina Räikkönen, recipient of the 2026 Equality Award, is a human rights activist, advocate for diversity, and digital media content creator. She actively works for a more inclusive society and schools and supports children and young people in many ways.
In her speech, Eskelä-Haapanen compared Räikkönen’s courage and activism to the legacy of Minna Canth.
“As a young woman, Minna Canth struggled internally with her place in society and ultimately dedicated herself to making the world a better place to live. Katariina Räikkönen has demonstrated this same fighting spirit in her own work.”
Räikkönen has spoken openly about her own experiences with Tourette’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD, among other things. She has brought to light different ways of experiencing and perceiving the world and has promoted understanding and acceptance.
A career as an advocate for equality already well underway
In her acceptance speech, Räikkönen expressed her gratitude for the recognition and dedicated her tribute to all the everyday heroes of equality. Räikkönen promised that her own work for equality is only just beginning.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive the Minna Canth Equality Award, especially at this early stage of my career,” Räikkönen said.
“Feminists of the past fought to secure much better starting points for me and other modern Finnish women than they themselves had in their time. I am grateful to them –and the best way to show that gratitude is to continue their work.”
Everyday actions and empathy promote equality
In her speech, Räikkönen noted how, today, the reluctance to put oneself in another person’s shoes remains a major obstacle to equality. For example, the importance of accessibility is often only understood when it affects the person directly. Räikkönen reminded the audience that accessibility involves not only ramps and working elevators but also, among other things, sensory accessibility and attitudinal accessibility.
For example, in schools, taking sensory accessibility into account benefits everyone.
“I hope that teachers across Finland will understand the importance of sensory and attitudinal accessibility for children on the neurodivergent spectrum – and, in fact, for everyone – in terms of academic success and daily life,” Räikkönen states.
Everyone has a role to play in promoting equality. Through our everyday actions and choices, we can either promote a more just and equal future or allow room for discrimination, even unintentionally.
“Equality arises when each of us dares to stand up for the marginalized and vulnerable in our daily lives. The fact that we dare to speak up at the coffee table when someone says something racist, ableist, or demeaning to women is a hugely important part of change, Räikkönen points out.
“Today is a good day to decide: I will not be a silent bystander.”
A recording of the event will be available.
Räikkönen received the equality award at the university’s Ruusupuisto campus on Thursday, March 19, 2026. The Minna Canth Award for Equality, presented annually by the Department of Teacher Education, has previously been awarded to, among others, President Tarja Halonen, Nasima Razmyari, Kaarina Hazard, Timo Parvela, and Elina Pekkarinen.
Original article is in Finnish. Artificial intelligence was used to translate this article.
