What is the Lisa Andström Scholarship?
The Lisa Andström Fund is a memorial fund established in 1983 by the Zonta Club of Hamina. The fund supports Finnish and Estonian female students and researchers by awarding scholarships, which are announced in the spring of odd-numbered years. The themes of the scholarship applications are usually related to current social issues.
The Lisa Andström Scholarships for 2025 have been awarded.
ZONTA kannustaa naisia kouluttautumaan, tavoittelemaan unelmiaan ja etenemään urallaan. Joka toinen vuosi jaettavilla Lisa Andström -stipendeillä kannustamme nuoria tutkijanaisia Suomessa ja Virossa.
Vuoden 2025 Lisa Andström -stipendiaatit olivat mukana piirikokousristeilyllä esittäytymässä ja piirikokouksen osallistujien jututettavina. Illan juhlassa he saivat kunniakirjansa
Stipendien saajat ja heidän tutkimusaiheensa:
Zonta encourages women to pursue education, follow their dreams, and advance in their careers. Through the Lisa Andström scholarships awarded every two years, we support young female researchers in Finland and Estonia.
The 2025 Lisa Andström scholarship recipients participated in the district conference cruise, where they introduced themselves and engaged with conference attendees. During the evening celebration, they were presented with their certificates of honor.
Scholarship recipients and their research topics:
Jessica Sundström, Kokkola, Doctoral Researcher, Tampere University
Topic: Help-seeking among survivors of intimate partner violence, particularly access to shelters.
Her dissertation provides insights into seeking refuge in shelters, including barriers and enabling factors, and examines factors associated with referrals to shelters among callers to the Nollalinja helpline.
Scholarship: €3,000
Hanna Mielismäki, Mynämäki, Doctoral Researcher, Tampere University
Topic: The Digi-Sus research platform, which aims to develop a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of intertwined digital and sustainable transitions.
Her work includes articles examining how the COVID-19 crisis and the rapid expansion of digital services affect access to help in cases of intimate partner violence, and how AI technology can support access to services in digital violence prevention work, as well as the risks and ethical challenges involved.
The committee considered the topic highly important, as AI is increasingly used in complex services, and victims of intimate partner violence face significant risks to safety and well-being, including digital violence, raising questions about responsibility among different actors.
Scholarship: €2,000
Maddie Winter, Tallinn, Tallinn University, PhD
Topic: The workplace as a site for harm reduction: Mitigating gender-based violence against women in Estonia.
This study includes interviews with shelter staff and HR personnel. Presentation scheduled for 2026.
The application introduces a new perspective on addressing intimate partner violence through workplaces.
Scholarship: €1,200
Eija Eronen, Tampere, Tampere University, Doctor of Social Sciences (2025)
Topic: An article on the support mothers hope for and their visions of a family-friendly society.
Taking mothers’ needs into account in social and healthcare services impacts well-being and coping. Declining birth rates are a serious societal concern, and parental exhaustion is the second most common reason for not having more children.
The research gathers insights into how mothers around the age of 30 perceive a family-friendly society and what kind of support they need for coping. It is part of the research project Young Mothers in a Time of Declining Birth Rates and includes policy recommendations for decision-makers.
Scholarship: €1,000
Vivian Wersta, Helsinki, University of Helsinki, Master of Health Sciences
Topic: Women’s experiences of intimate partner violence and access to services from a life-course perspective.
This approach considers an individual’s entire life history to better understand their current health status, identifying earlier life events and circumstances that influence later health.
Leaving a violent relationship is analyzed through five themes: awakening to one’s situation, escalation of violence, support from close ones, the process of leaving, and seeking help out of necessity.
This offers a new perspective on leaving violent relationships through life-course turning points and highlights the importance of tailored support based on individual backgrounds and life experiences.
Scholarship: €800 (requested amount)
2023 Lisa Andström scholarship recipients
Grace Ferrera, who has focused on the narrative abilities of women on the autism spectrum.
Inna Häkkinen, PhD, who studies the Biografic Energy storytelling culture on the shores of the Baltic Sea from a permaculture perspective and how storytelling works as an empowering and self-esteem booster. She also has contacts at the Turku Women’s Centre, which serves as a contact point for the sub-study. Watch Inna’s video, in which she talks about her research.
Haoxuan Sa, on the other hand, is researching the effects of the pandemic on the isolation and mental health of older people at the University of Helsinki, as well as methods to avoid this negative development.
Katariina Velling from Imatra is a healthcare professional who wants to investigate what kind of augmented reality solutions can be used to prevent loneliness among older people and whether they have an impact.
All scholarships were worth €1,500. Thank you to all the clubs for their contributions to the scholarships!