Elina Juusola

I was born in Finland but at a young age started to travel the world, first with my parents and then with my own family. my education was very international.
I had my primary and secondary education in Finland and Australia and attended university in Sweden, Finland, and Australia. I earned a Masters’ in Humanities, which included History of Ideas and Sciences, English Philology, Education, Sociology, and Women’s Studies from Sweden.
I was privileged to be one of the founding members of the Swedish Women’s Studies Seminars (Kvinnoforskningseminariet) and have been very active at the grass-roots level of the international Women’s Movement, including the Women’s Peace Movement. As a performer, I composed many songs for the movement, including “Women and Children Do Not Need to Think”; “Do Not Cry, Research”; and “Long Life for Erotism.”
I found my research niche through the Women’s International Conference circuit and researched, toured, and talked about pornography and violence against women for fifteen years. I also researched children’s play habits and the relationships between culture and play when working as a promoter for the Barbie doll and other toys in Scandinavia.
In 1995, I moved to Australia, where I worked in care of the aged and with community organisations before returning to university for my business degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies. My ambition is to be the best grandmother there is. I devote my spare time to writing about and researching burning world issues. My secret hobbies are upcycling tin cans to art and playing Lego with grandkids.