Lately, the backlash against women’s rights has been loud. From boardrooms to ballot boxes, from tech labs to teachers’ lounges… And in moments like this, when the noise tries to drown out progress, I wanted to do something simple but powerful:
Shine a light on the women who inspire me.
So I launched the 100 SHEroes campaign, a tribute to women who lead with courage, compassion, resilience, and fire. These aren’t curated celebrities or PR-perfect role models. I’ve learned from these women, worked with, cried with, and clapped for. Women who’ve challenged me to be bolder, think bigger, and stay human.
Because when you’re the “only one” in the room—in finance, tech, activism, or leadership—what helps most is knowing you’re not alone.
Talking about gender equality is easy.
But taking real, sustained action? That’s what separates hashtags from history.
This year, as backlash against women’s rights continues to rise—across industries, countries, and even in the most “developed” democracies—I wanted to do something that felt personal, powerful, and possible:
💡 I launched the #SHEroes campaign to spotlight 100 women who’ve inspired me—not because they’re perfect, but because they’re real.
Women who lead with courage. Women who’ve dared to challenge the status quo. Women who remind me that “seeing is believing” isn’t a cliché—it’s a strategy.
- Kamola Makhmudova
- Janna Salokangas
- Kamola Alieva
- Dr. Emma Fulu
- Amy Cuddy
- Plamena Cherneva
- Chisom Udeze
- Runa Khan
- Gulshanoy Tolipova
- Samira Rafaela
- Maria Veitola
- Pukhraj Ranjan
- Jesmane Boggenpoel
- Eliza Reid
- Salamatu Kamara
- Alina Şerban
- Sirpa Pietikäinen
- Samira Rafaela
- Karen Melchior
- Vladimira Marcinková
- Abir Al-Sahlani
- Beatriz Hernandez de Fuhr
- Samira Nawa
- Guliz Tomruk-Kisi
- Shadia Rask
- Nadira Abdurakhmanova
- Caroline Farberger
- Katja Presnal
- Hilola Suleymanova
- Sonya Lindfors
- Pazilaiti Simayijiang
- Natalia Gromova
- Dilfuza Kurolova
- Nana Berdzenishvili
- Frederikke Antonie Schmidt
- Lioubov Shalygina
- Marinika Babanazarova
- Bibinur Alibaeva
- Johanna Kauppinen
- Marina Kuznechevskaya
- Shabana Basij-Rasikh
- Shaina Jabbar
- Azra Jafari
- Geeti Amiri
- Aziza Hossaini
- Shahrbanoo Sadat
- Fatimah Hossaini
- Almira Tabaeva
- Sevara Mukhamedkarimova
- Mary Fitzgerald
- Maija Fast
- Melis Ari
- Lulu Zhang
- Lola Akinmade Åkerström
- Vlada Petrovskaja
- Kristina Devochko
- Sigyn Jonsdottir – ICELAND
- Priyanka Banerjee – FINLAND
- Clionadh Martin – DENMARK
- Girls in Tech Nordics – Sweden
- Carbfix – ICELAND
- Unconventional Ventures – Denmark
- Viivi Marttinen – Finland
- Annika Lundström – Finland
- Reetta Siltasalmi-Kautto – Finland
- Ada Sinangin – Denmark
- Ujuni Ahmed – Finland
- Geeti Amiri – Denmark
- Irina Matvienko – UZBEKISTAN
- Aqida Hanum
- Hera Hussain – United kingdom
- Tahmina Salik- AFGHANISTAN & DENMARK
- Elina Nikulainen- finland
- Anna Juusela – finland
- Gisèle Pelicot – FRANCE
- Mona Eid
- Päivi Paanila
- Claudia Nystrand
- Mari Taverne
- Anne Badan
- Olivia Kumpula
- Aicha Manai
- Reeta Lindeman
- Päivi Paanila
- Sarah Chen-Spellings
- Jaana Taskinen
- Eilina Gusatinsky
- Tahmina Salik
- Elisa Johansson
- Melisa Yildirim
- Lola Sayfi
- Cecilia Naadensua Quarshie
- Sointu Borg
- Nigora Karimova
- Vaida Kavaliukaitė-Kaijanmäki
- Raquel Castañeda-López
- Azeema Nur
- Atsuko Okatsuka
- Lykke Friis
- Mona Eid
We need role models at every stage of our lives.
Because visibility is power. And when we see someone like us rise, we believe it’s possible for us, too.
This campaign became my way of honoring that truth—and pushing others to name the women they admire, learn from, and quietly follow online. It’s been humbling, joyful, emotional. And most of all—urgent.
From running a marathon to break gender norms in sports, to advocating for immigrant women in EU politics, to building a career in male-dominated industries like shipping—I’ve learned one thing over and over again:
No one creates change alone.
Not in politics. Not in business. Not in the back office or the boardroom.
So this campaign was a call to action:
🔹 Mentor, coach, and sponsor women. A quiet recommendation or a loud endorsement can change a career.
🔹 Be a real ally at work. Advocate for fair pay, push for inclusive hiring, and don’t stay silent when it counts.
🔹 Support local organizations doing the everyday work: Nicehearts ry, Monaliiku, UN Women Suomi, IWWOF, Monika-Naiset liitto, Mothers in Business MiB ry, Females & Allies, Naisasialiitto Unioni.
🔹 If you’re in Finland, vote for candidates who center women’s rights and gender minorities.
🔹 If you’re part of a diaspora—donate to women’s shelters in your country of origin. Many, like those in Uzbekistan, are underfunded and overwhelmed.
📢 Most importantly: SHOW UP.
Whether it’s the Women’s March, a community gathering, or even just tagging a SHEro in your network—visibility is activism.
At the Munich Security Forum, a panel on women, peace, and security had one notable absence: men. All invited, none showed.
That silence is why we still have so far to go.
So this blog post isn’t just a celebration.
It’s a commitment—to keep naming, lifting, hiring, trusting, and backing the women who lead in all their difference.
💜 #SHEroes
💜 #SeeingIsBelieving
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