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CORNERSTONE
OF UNITY
1 SINGLE-CHAMBER PARLIAMENT
At first I was astonished: how on Earth could the singlechamber parliament be a social innovation along with,
say, liquorice and tobacco legislation? Then I understood: it is in fact the mother of all the innovations in this
book. At least, this is my opinion
, writing as someone who, as Finland’s first female Speaker of Parliament, has
presided over no fewer than nine parliamentary sessions and who places a high premium on our parliamentary
system.
In 1906 the Diet enacted the Election Act and the Parliament Act for Finland, and Finland made the transition
from Europe’s most primitive system of representation, based on four estates, to what many considered the
most modern: a single-chamber parliament. The new Parliament Act, which came into force on 1 October 1906,
established universal and equal suffrage. What was significant was that women were enfranchised at the same
time as men; every Finnish citizen aged 24 or over was entitled to vote, and the number of people entitled to
vote and stand for election increased tenfold overnight to 1.2 million.
It is often claimed that Finnish women were not first in this respect, as their counterparts in the Isle of Man,
New Zealand, Australia and in some of the American states had been granted the right to vote at an earlier date,
and in some cases were also allowed to stand for election, but no women were elected. Thus, in 1907, the
world’s first female MPs took their seats in the Finnish Parliament. The fact that men and women achieved these
rights at the same time was both a strength and particularity of Finland.
All these events took place in the Grand Duchy of Finland during a time of Tsarist oppression, when a window
of opportunity suddenly opened up: confronted with Russia’s bad fortunes in the war with Japan, including the
Tsusima sea battle, and other problems like the general strike which affected all social classes, also in Finland,
the tsar approved the new Parliament Act.
Even though the prevailing conditions had an impact, it must be stressed that Finns had already done serious
parliamentary groundwork, although the political party system was undeveloped and wise opinions were needed.
Leo Mechelin’s statesmanship was a godsend, and men and women worked hard. There were more than
enough problems: debates raged about a single-chamber parliament, the Finnish and Swedish languages, illegal
conscription and, later, the possibility of a monarchist Finland. A decision was eventually taken to form a single-
chamber parliament, and the Grand Committee assumed the role of a kind of upper house. The Grand
Committee later started attending to European Union matters in a model fashion.
The Finnish Women’s Association had the goal of universal suffrage, but this was somewhat unclear even
among the association’s members. The same situation prevailed in the Feminist Association, although its first
president Lucina Hagman had written a pamphlet on women’s suffrage in 1889. The Working Women’s Union,
however, supported universal suffrage more specifically. The women’s associations and the Working Women’s
Union had different emphases. The fight for universal suffrage and the temperance question were closely
intertwined, and demands for a prohibitionary alcohol law and democracy were considered different aspects of
the same theme. The idea of universal and equal suffrage thus gained a lot of currency among the population
during the abstinence movement in 1898
–1899.
In any case, the universal and equal right to vote and stand for election was accomplished, surprising even
Finland’s most internationally oriented female politician, Aleksandra Gripenberg, who received notice of the
event in England. From that time onwards she never wasted an opportunity to remind her audience that the eyes
of the world were on Finnish women, who had in a unique fashion accomplished opportunities to act. There was
an urgent need for education because women were obliged to appeal to the state for gender-based exemptions
in order to achieve positions of power or receive higher education. Prostitution and other moral issues were also
topical questions; all the women’s groups were up their eyes in work. They worked together with the men, but
were also derided because of their looks, spinsterhood, corpulence etc.
– in much the same way as they are
today.
In 2017 we have good reason to celebrate our accomplishments, although there is still much work to be done.
Matters concerning family legislation, women’s wages and reproduction are still discussed in the media. On the
other hand, Finnish women have achieved top positions in Finnish politics: the first female President of the
Republic was elected in 2000, the first female Speaker of Parliament in 1994, and the first Prime Minister in
2003. There are numerous brilliant women in business and politics, so breakthroughs have been accomplished
in many sectors. Nevertheless, there are more than enough grievances. Sometimes one hardly knows whether
to laugh or cry when one looks at the matters currently under discussion in Parliament. Already in November
1907, Koti ja Yhteiskun
ta magazine reported that, thanks to women’s joint endeavours, Parliament had decided
to abolish prostitution, but our parliament is currently discussing the buying and selling of sexual services. In the
first elections, some women believed that their vote could eradicate drinking from Finland forever, but there is
still a heated debate about alcohol in the 21st century.
All things considered, we have to congratulate the wise statesmen and stateswomen of the turn of the 20th
century. A single-chamber parlia
ment was a suitable arrangement for Finland. Let it now work for it’s own joy
and for the honour of the land of our fathers.
We have rejoiced at the success achieved by Finnish Members of Parliament, be they men or women. In
1907, Members of the Russian Duma united to praise Finnish women in telegrams, including one from the
Cossacks of the Don: “We, the representatives of the Cossacks of the Don, are fortunate to be able to salute the
nation that has awarded women the high position they deserve in our great but still enchained native land. Long
live the Finnish woman, who enjoys full rights as a citizen of her native land!”
Riitta Uosukainen
– Councelor of State,
Speaker of Parliament 1994
–2003
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