Alexandra Gripenberg facts for kids

Alexandra Gripenberg was a leader in women's rights.

Alexandra Gripenberg was also an author and politician.

Alexandra Gripenberg, also known as Alexandra van Grippenberg, (1857 – 24 December 1913) was an important Finnish woman who worked hard for social change. She was an author, editor, and even a politician. Alexandra was a strong leader in the movement for women's rights in Finland around the early 1900s. She was also known as a Fennoman, which means she supported Finnish language and culture.

Who Was Alexandra Gripenberg?

Alexandra Gripenberg was born in 1857. Her family were Swedish-speaking nobles. She played a key role in starting Finland's first official women's rights group. This group was called the Suomen Naisyhdistys (Finnish Women's Association). It was founded in Helsinki in 1884. Alexandra became a very active member of this association.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Alexandra Gripenberg led the Finnish Women's Association for many years. She was the president from 1889 to 1904. She also served as president again from 1909 to 1913. Her work helped to push for more rights for women in Finland.

Learning from Other Countries

Between 1887 and 1888, Alexandra traveled to England and the United States. She wanted to learn from the women's movements in those countries. Her trip inspired her to write a book. It was called A Half Year in the New World and was published in 1889.

Starting a Magazine

In the same year, 1889, Alexandra started one of Finland's first women's magazines. It was called Koti ja Yhteiskunta. This magazine was published until December 1911. Alexandra was also the main editor of the magazine. It served as the official publication for the Finnish Women's Association. She also worked as the treasurer for the International Council of Women from 1893 to 1899.

Becoming a Politician

Finland gave women the right to vote in 1906. This was called women's suffrage. In 1907, Alexandra Gripenberg was one of the first women elected to the Parliament of Finland. She was one of nineteen women who won seats that year.

She was elected through the conservative Finnish Party. This was sometimes challenging for her. Alexandra spoke Swedish, but the party mainly spoke Finnish. The party also had strong support in the Finnish countryside. Alexandra remained a member of the party until 1909. She passed away in 1913.