By Anne-Marije Rook

As Washington celebrates the 100th anniversary of women voting in the state, the Nordic Heritage Museum exhibits a similar story from abroad.

A new exhibit, “100 Years of Women’s Voices and Action in Finland,” is currently on display at the museum paying tribute to Ballard’s Nordic ties and the women that fought for equality.

At the Sept. 10 exhibit opening, Tarja Filatov, deputy speaker in the Finnish Parliament, spoke about the Finnish women’s movement and the history reflected in the exhibition, previously displayed in New York and Washington D.C.

In 1906, Finland became the second country in the world to grant suffrage to women (following New Zealand) and the first to allow women to be elected.

“This was an international breakthrough for women," Filatov said. "We are still proud of this decision. I believe that Finnish society’s pioneering example has also encouraged other countries.”

In the United States, it wasn’t until 1920 that the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. But, women have held voting rights in Washington continuously since the passage of a state constitutional amendment in 1910.

During the 1880s, two laws granting women the right to vote were passed in the then-territory of Washington's legislature, but both were overturned in court.

Following Filatov’s keynote address, 36th District State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles spoke about the women’s movement in the United States.

“It’s a timely coincidence to celebrate 100 years of women voices in Finland when 100 years ago, in 1910, women gained the right to vote in Washington,” she said. “The fifth state to do so after ‘only’ 72 years of struggle,” she added.

“I’d like to congratulate the women and men of Finland here and abroad for leading in gender equality,” Kohl-Welles said. “We have a long way to go and we can only aspire to be like Finland.”

Finland was recently named “the best country in the world” by Newsweek based on its education, politics, economy, health and quality of life for its citizens.

“From women’s viewpoint, the goals of gender equality could be summarized as economic independence, physical integrity and the right to self-determination,” Filatov said.

Finland ensures women’s participation in the workforce and interdependence through extensive welfare services. Every child has the right to high-standard public day care, school meals and free education. This makes the classic decision of a career or a family obsolete.

“Education does not depend on the size of the parents’ wallet but is open to everyone," Filatov said. "I believe that the opportunity to study and a culture that encourages women to participate in the workforce are strong factors promoting equality.”

In fact, Finland has one of the highest rates of employment for women in the world.

Women have done well in Finnish politics as well. A woman has been president since 2000, more than half the government ministers are women, and there are currently 79 female members of parliament.

“In schools, little boys ask if a boy can become president,” Filatov said.

Utilizing a timeline, posters and pictures, the exhibition tells the story of how Finland came to be this leader of equality and the battles Finnish women fought and won.

“Along the way there have been obstacles to equality as well as successes,” Filatov said. “This exhibition tells how obstacles have been overcome in Finland. A model that has been successful in one society can never be copied directly in another country, but I believe that it can provide encouragement and ideas to help resolve problems.”

Kohl-Welles agreed.

“It’s important to notice what happens in other countries,” she said. “I think girls and women can learn a lot from this exhibit but then so can boys and men.”

The exhibition complements the current “Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes” exhibition at the Museum of History and Industry, according to Janet Rauscher, chief curator at the Nordic Heritage Museum.

“It’s part of the statewide focus on women’s history,” Rausche said. “And, Finland’s story is a story with a lot of similarities to ours.”

Members of the Finnish Consulate and the Finnish Council of Women as well as members of the Center for Women in Seattle were present at the ceremony for "100 Years of Women's Voices and Action in Finland" and had toured the Museum of History and Industry prior to the opening ceremony.

Kohl-Welles also talked about the history of women in public office.

“What we have in our country and in our state is a growing movement to have women elected,” she said.

She referred to Washington's unique status in having two women as its U.S. senators and a woman governor.

Leena Ruusuvuori, director of the National Council of Women in Finland, said she was impressed by the museums and hopes it will inspire thought regarding women’s issues in the United States. Ruusuvuori said our country still has a long way to go, and she thinks the solutions lie in education and welfare.

“The U.S. has yet to ratify CEDAW (the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) and things like that," she said. "You started so well with the women’s movement, what happened?”

The politicians said that in both the United States and Finland, there are still many obstacles on the road to equality.

“Equality is not complete,” Filatov said. “The labor market is divided according to sex, women’s average earnings are still smaller than men’s, and violence against women is all too common."

“But, men’s life is not rosy either,” Filatov said. “Men die younger and become marginalized more easily, and their quality of life is poorer than women’s on many counts.”

This is why Filatov and her peers call for gender-based politics.

“It is not aimed at giving women the upper hand," she said. "Its aim is not to level down or make everyone conform. In a spirit of tolerance, it respects differences among people and values diversity but not inequality.”

"100 Years of Women’s Voices and Action in Finland" will be on display at the Nordic Heritage Museum through Nov. 14.

This article originally appeared as "Washington state, Finland: Together on cutting edge for women's rights" on Crosscut.com.