Finland was the first European country to grant women the right to vote. In 1906, the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland adopted universal and equal suffrage, allowing women to vote and stand as candidates in parliamentary elections.
At the time, Finland was part of the Russian Empire but retained a separate legislature and significant autonomy. A political crisis and a nationwide general strike in 1905 helped create momentum for replacing the old estate-based Diet with a modern unicameral parliament. The reform extended voting rights beyond wealthy or socially privileged men.
Finnish women first voted in the 1907 parliamentary election, and 19 women were elected—an unprecedented result in the world. Finland’s achievement is sometimes confused with New Zealand, which became the first self-governing country to grant women the vote in 1893. The important distinction is that Finland was first in Europe and among the earliest places to combine women’s suffrage with the right to stand for national office.