Fatbardhe Hetemaj | |
|---|---|
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| Website | www |
| Position held | municipal councillor in Finland |
Fatbardhe Hetemaj (born 20 August 1985) [1] is a Kosovo-born Finnish politician, author, and 2009 "Refugee Woman of the Year". [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Hetemaj was born to Emine and Miftar Hetemaj in Skenderaj, Kosovo, and she is of Kosovo Albanian descent. [2] [9] [7] She has three siblings Përparim Hetemaj, Mehmet Hetemaj, and Fatlume Hetemaj. [2] [3] [9] [10] In the fall of 1992, Hetemaj and her family arrived in Finland after fleeing the regime of Slobodan Milosevic and lived in a refugee center in Oulu. [2] [3] [4] [11] From 2005 to 2008, she studied Business management and Combined studies at the University of Worcester. [3] She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts with Honours in Business Management. [12]
In 2009, the Finnish Refugee Council named Hetemaj "Refugee Woman of the Year" for her work against racism [2] [4] [5] [6] [8] In 2010, she published her book "Matkalaukullinen aurinkoa : pakomatka pohjoiseen" (Sun in a suitcase: an escape to the north). [13]
In 2011, she ran as a coalition candidate for the National Coalition Party but lost the election. [14] [15] [16] In 2012, Hetemaj was elected as one do the City Councilors for the Helsinki City Council. [17] [18] [19] [7] On 28 July 2015, she appeared alongside Erkki Tuomioja, Ozan Yanar, and Paavo Arhinmäki at an event against racism in Helsinki that attracted nearly 15,000 people. [20]
A documentary film about Hetemaj and her family premiered at the Refugee Film Festival in 2020. [21] [9]