Introducing Our New Programme Director, Kristiina Rintakoski

Programme Director Kristiina Rintakoski joined International Solidarity Foundation (ISF) at the beginning of September 2025 from the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, where she had worked as Head of Advocacy and Peace and Reconciliation, and most recently as Programme Manager. Before that, Rintakoski spent ten years as Programme Director at the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). She studied international politics and human rights at the Universities of Tampere and Padua.

Rintakoski describes her motivation for joining ISF, noting that in her previous work she has seen how important it is to advocate for women’s rights and to prevent violence against women. She emphasizes that ISF has a very clear thematic and geographic focus in its work. Another important factor for her was that ISF promotes change through local partners and communities, ensuring strong local ownership. She is also inspired by the organization’s efforts to develop methods and approaches, such as intergenerational dialogue, which can help address the attitudes and structures affecting women’s position.

Work Led by Local Actors

Rintakoski brings to ISF her experience of working in fragile contexts and expertise in conflict sensitivity, which is essential in countries facing tensions, conflicts, and recovery processes. She also highlights the importance of strengthening women’s position under the leadership of local actors.

Rintakoski would like to further strengthen the synergies between ISF’s programme priorities, so that livelihoods, climate issues, and the prevention of violence against women and girls intersect and together support community-level change, women’s empowerment, and the realization of rights. In her view, ISF could also expand its advocacy work at different levels to advance women’s rights and prevent FGM.

Not Forgetting That the World Is Global

Rintakoski stresses that global challenges cannot be excluded simply because they lie beyond national borders. She points out that, with the government’s recent cuts, Finland is moving further away from the peer countries it would like to align with, such as Sweden and Norway. In her view, Finland has taken steps backward and fallen behind its goals, and the NGO sector also needs to reconsider how this work is carried out.

Throughout her career, Rintakoski has met countless inspiring women who drive change in their communities. She underlines that human rights belong to everyone, yet for many women they remain out of reach. At a time of major setbacks in gender equality and women’s status – including in the Global North – she sees an urgent need for stronger commitment to supporting local communities and women’s organisations.

Encounters with Women Who Strongly Believe in Change

Rintakoski recalls a memorable encounter from her previous work in rural Tanzania, where she met a woman of about the same age who even shared her name. The woman, who had suffered from polio, invited her into a modest home and proudly showed her most valued possession: a radio. Although there was no electricity, she hoped to one day buy batteries to listen to the news and stay informed about world events. She also dreamed of building a house. Despite the very challenging circumstances, she held a strong belief in the future and worked actively to make change happen.

For Rintakoski, the encounter in Tanzania crystallised how even in the most challenging circumstances, hope and determination can drive change. It is this belief in people’s resilience and in the power of local communities that continues to guide her work at ISF.