THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



even as short a time ago as 1897, when 

 the first ofiicial request was made.* 



NOT ENOUGH EDUCATED MEN TO MEET 



THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 



COUNTRY 



From an educational point of view the 

 women in Finland have been very fortu- 

 nate, as there are many excellent schools 

 for girls and a number of co-educational 

 schools throughout the country which 

 prepare students for the University ex- 

 aminations. Girls have been admitted to 

 the University since 1878, and they not 

 only attend lectures but take part in all 

 branches of university life : they partici- 

 pate in all the celebrations and festivities, 

 and are members of the various clubs 

 and student organizations, in which they 

 are on a footing of perfect equality with 

 the men and are frequently elected to 

 various official positions. After they 

 graduate from one of the several high 

 schools or from the University there are 

 many branches of work open to them. 



They may become teachers even in the 

 state schools for boys, cashiers or book- 

 keepers in banks, clerks in the state 

 archives, and in many branches of the 

 civic administration. There are really 

 not enough educated men to meet the 

 requirements of the country, and conse- 

 quently the cooperation of the women is 

 a matter of vital importance. It not in- 

 frequently happens that even married 

 women in comparatively good circum- 

 stances seek employment outside their 

 homes. 



Having thus such an excellent founda- 

 tion to build upon, it is small wonder that 

 the woman's movement soon found many 

 active supporters. In 1863 the Diet had 

 accorded the municipal vote to women 

 taxpayers living in the country, and in 

 1872 to women living in the towns, all of 

 whom were also given the right to be 

 elected members of certain local self- 

 governing bodies. In iqoo the women 

 social democrats included the suffrage in 

 their program, but the special activity 

 for the suffrage began only in the year 



* Unofficial requests had been made previ- 

 ously by both the women's societies. 



1904, although in 1897 a petition had 

 been officially presented to the Diet at 

 the request of the "Finnish Woman's 

 Association." 



The reason why so little was done in 

 direct furtherance of the cause of woman 

 suffrage between the years 1897 ^^^ 19^4 

 is that just at that time Finland was 

 passing through a severe political crisis. 

 The struggle which the country was try- 

 ing to wage against what seemed to be 

 hopelesc odds roused all the women of 

 the country to action and made them' 

 realize the immense influence that politi- 

 cal questions had upon the welfare of 

 their country and upon their own indi- 

 vidual lives. Thus they learned by prac- 

 tical experience the value of, and the 

 necessity for, organized cooperation. 



When all the women of the country 

 had once been thus united by a strong 

 bond of common interest, it was only 

 natural that when the political crisis had 

 passed the women should work together 

 in an attempt to gain a recognized posi- 

 tion in the civil and political life of the 

 country. 



By the autumn of 1904 the political 

 situation had changed materially and 

 public gatherings were once more al- 

 lowed. The first large meeting for the 

 discussion of the question of woman 

 suffrage was convoked by one of the 

 women's societies, and was attended by 

 over one thousand women from dififerent 

 classes of society and from different 

 parts of the country. The petition which 

 the women presented to the Diet at this 

 time was not dealt with, however, for 

 the situation of the country was still pre- 

 carious.* Women nevertheless continued 

 to play an active role. 



WOMEN CHOSEN TO SERVE AS MEMBERS- 

 OE A STRIKE COMMITTEE 



After the outbreak of the October- 

 revolution in Russia (1905), a sympa- 

 thetic strike was declared in Finland, and 

 several of the members of the central 



* In this petition equal suffrage for men and' 

 women was demanded, and for the first time a 

 demand was made that women be granted the 

 right to sit in Parliament. 



