| Office: | Minister of Social Affairs and Health |
| Primeminister: | Paavo Lipponen |
| Predecessor: | Jorma Huuhtanen |
| Successor: | Maija Perho |
| Term Start: | 13 April 1995 |
| Term End: | 14 April 1999 |
| Primeminister1: | Anneli Jäätteenmäki Matti Vanhanen |
| Term Start1: | 17 April 2003 |
| Term End1: | 19 April 2007 |
| Predecessor1: | Maija Perho |
| Successor1: | Tuula Haatainen |
| Office2: | Minister of Labour |
| Primeminister2: | Paavo Lipponen |
| Predecessor2: | Liisa Jaakonsaari |
| Successor2: | Tarja Filatov |
| Term Start2: | 15 April 1999 |
| Term End2: | 24 February 2000 |
| Office3: | Minister of Trade and Industry |
| Primeminister3: | Paavo Lipponen |
| Predecessor3: | Erkki Tuomioja |
| Successor3: | Mauri Pekkarinen |
| Term Start3: | 25 February 2000 |
| Term End3: | 16 April 2003 |
| Birth Name: | Taru Sinikka Mönkäre |
| Birth Date: | 6 March 1947 |
| Birth Place: | Sippola, Finland |
| Party: | Social Democratic Party |
Sinikka Mönkäre (born 6 March 1947) is a Finnish physician and politician who served as minister in different cabinets of Finland.
Mönkäre was born in Sippola on 6 March 1947.[1] She has a PhD in medicine and surgery.[1]
Mönkäre worked at different hospitals.[1] From 1981 to 1995 she served at the Imatra city council in various capacities.[1] She became a member of the Finnish Parliament in 1987 and served there until 1991.[1]
She is a member of the Social Democratic Party.[2] She held different ministerial roles. Her first ministerial post was the minister of social affairs and health and minister in the ministry of environment (housing) (1995–1999). She was the minister of labour from 1999 to 2000.[3] Then she served as the minister of trade and industry from 2000 to 2003.[4] [5] During her term she supported the construction of a new nuclear power plant.[6] [7] She was appointed minister of social affairs and health to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki on 17 April 2003.[8] On 23 September 2005, she was removed from office upon her request and replaced by Tuula Haatainen in the post.
Mönkäre was appointed managing director of the state-run Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY) in 2006.[9] In April 2009, she became a member of the executive committee of the RAY.[10] She was appointed board member for the University of Turku in February 2010.[11] She is also a member of ilmarinen’s supervisory board from 2010.[12]