Annex III Biographical data form of candidates to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Name: Mikko Marianne Nationality: Estonia Date and place of birth: 26/09/1961 Võru, Estonia Working languages: Estonian, English, Russian, French, Swedish Current position/function: Member of the PES Women Executive Chairwoman of NGO Naiskogu Kadri Tallinn County Executive Member of the College of Diplomaatia (foreign and security policy quarterly magazine) CEO of Marianne Mikko OÜ (consulting governmental institutions in Estonia and in Sweden) Main professional activities: Analyst of a gender equality policy for different organizations Author of books, publications and essays about current affairs Publisher Moderator of several panels of different matters (gender, integration, migration, security) Long-term observer of the Election Observation Missions (OSCE/ODIHR, EU EOM) Member of Parliament of Estonia 2011 – 2019 Member of European Parliament 2004 – 2009 Editor-in-chief of Diplomaatia 2003 – 2004 Diplomatic Correspondent of Estonian TV 1996 – 2002 Freelance Journalist in Republic of South Africa 1992 – 1993 Educational background: Master Degree in Journalism, Tartu University 1979–1984 Doctoral Student at Tallinn University (not completed because was elected as MP) 2009– 2013 Course The impact of events in Northern Africa and Middle-East to Europe and Eurasia organized by George Marshall Center 2012 Course of the long-term observation (LTO) in the election observation mission by ZIF 2020 Other main activities in the field relevant to the mandate of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Spokesperson of gender equality for a decade in the Social Democratic Party of Estonia (SDE). In this capacity she has organised many conferences and street actions related to the pay gap and violence against women. The first Estonian politician who draw attention to unfairness of the gender pay gap in Estonian society. The Gender Equality Council advising the Government of the Republic of Estonia has been established on Mikko’s initiative. Through hard work, Estonia has achieved a 10% decrease in the gender pay gap in the past 10 years. In election observation missions acting as the Head of the Special Election Assessment Mission to Romania in 2020 or as a long-term election observer to Zambia in 2021 Marianne Mikko brought up the question of the representation of women. List of most recent publications in the field of discrimination against women and advancement of their human rights: Naise koht (Woman’s Place), Rahva Raamat, 264 pages, Tallinn, 2021 Essays published in 2021: Does medicine take gender into consideration?, 60+; Where is a women’s opinion?, Õhtuleht; Without solving the Pay Gap we cannot move forward, Sirp; The fear of the F-word, ERR; Pink and other gender stereotypes, Postimees; A nurse with a mustache, Õhtuleht.