▁used ▁to ▁have ▁ 1 0 0 ▁seats . ▁ ▁Finland ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁became ▁Finland ▁was ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁integral ▁provinces ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Sweden ▁for ▁over ▁ 6 0 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁women ▁in ▁Finland ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁vote ▁during ▁the ▁Swedish ▁Age ▁of ▁Liber ty ▁( 1 7 1 8 – 1 7 7 2 ), ▁during ▁which ▁conditional ▁suff rage ▁was ▁granted ▁to ▁tax - pay ing ▁female ▁members ▁of ▁gu ild s . ▁ ▁However , ▁this ▁right ▁was ▁controvers ial . ▁ ▁In ▁Va asa , ▁there ▁was ▁opposition ▁against ▁women ▁particip ating ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁hall ▁discuss ing ▁political ▁issues , ▁as ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁seen ▁as ▁their ▁right ▁place , ▁and ▁women ' s ▁suff rage ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁opposed ▁in ▁practice ▁in ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁real m : ▁when ▁Anna ▁Elisabeth ▁Ba er ▁and ▁two ▁other ▁women ▁pet ition ed ▁to ▁vote ▁in ▁Tur ku ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 1 , ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁by ▁town ▁officials . ▁ ▁The ▁prede cess or ▁state ▁of ▁modern ▁Finland , ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Finland , ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁from ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁and ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁high ▁degree ▁of ▁aut onomy . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 , ▁tax pay ing ▁women ▁were ▁granted ▁municipal ▁suff rage ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁side , ▁and ▁in ▁