Letter from Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg to May Wright Sewall.

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GRIPENBERG, ALEXANDRA OCT 4, 1896

A Greeting from Finland

It is rather difficult to give an exact report of the present status of the woman question in Finland. Foreigners who come to our county, use to be amazed of the freedom and priviledges our women enjoy. But then foriegners are as a rule extremely ignorant about us. They come here hoping to find us dressed in [skis?] and driving in sledges with reindeers in the mids of the summer, and are disappointed not to see beans in the strees of our little capital. Of course then when they see our co-educational schools, our ladystudents, lady physician and lady clerks in banks, they feel as astonished as they are concerning every other sign of civilization with us.

I admit that a great many reforms in the poisition of women have taken place since 1864, but especially due

Last edit about 4 years ago by neorem
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ring the last 15 years. Unmarried women obtain majority at 25 years of age and might by special permission obtain it at 21. Daughters inherit since 1878 the same as their brothers. The number of girls' high schools have increased and their programme widened. Several co-educational schools leading to the university have been established several boy's high schools leading to the university receive girls as pupils. By special permission women might study at the univerisity and many women have already passed degrees. Women are princpals in girl's high schools, teachers in boy's high schools, teacher's semi[nares?], girl's high schools, ^in all kind of practical schools. They are clerks and cashiers in banks, municipal offices, ^the railroad service, typewriters in the civil service, and so on they are employed in the post and some [?] these schools are about the same as the german "Tochter schule"

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men are postmasters. We have three lady doctors and one of them is assis tant physician in our largest hos pital. Women have the municipal vote and ^are eligible to Poor Law Guardians.

These are the cheif encouraging points in the present position of women in Finland. In this direction the reforms are going [crossed out] developing.

The dard points are in our country, as every where else, the legal position of the wife. True, she has the right to her own earnings, but if she buys something for this money, it becomes common property, of which the husband is the legal disposer. There has however been several changes in the marriage laws during the last years, so that it is not quite as easy for a husband as before, to sell the common property the wife's consent is needed in many more instances, than it used to be.

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The wife can also make arrangements before the marriage, by which she may become [crossed out] obtain the right to dispose her inherited property, but as this is looked upon as a sign of distrust against her future husband, very few women do it. A married woman must show her husbands' consent written before she can buy a passport and go abroad. As a mother she has no more legal rights over her children, than mothers in other countries. In short, the married woman's ^legal position is the weakest point in the [Finnish?] woman's position.

As you see, there are many good reforms for which we ought to be thankful, but also some earnest disabilities which we must try to get removed. We do not deny that we enjoy comparatively much freedom still, everybody who studies the woman question in our country

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must admit, that we are at present in a peculiar position. The large majority of the people has a certain awe for the question - of which they know very little. Their daughters are perhaps studying at the university, ^or they are clercs in a bank, teachers in boys high schools, but still the parents are afraid for "the woman question and its consequences." And so are many of these same women, who enjoy a freedom, which is the result of the endeavours of the despised woman's rights' women. I believe this feature is more or less peculiar for the northern countries in Europe at present time at least I have often seen it mentioned in Scandinavian papers. It's perhaps a necessary period, but it might be dangerous, because reforms might easily take a wrong direction if the ethical reasons why they ought to be realised, are not carefully

Last edit about 4 years ago by neorem
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