▁defined ▁as ▁legal ▁min ors , ▁and ▁un mar ried ▁women ▁were ▁min ors ▁unless ▁they ▁applied ▁for ▁legal ▁majority ▁by ▁royal ▁disp ens ation , ▁while ▁wid owed ▁and ▁divor ced ▁women ▁were ▁of ▁legal ▁majority . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 7 3 4 ▁reform ▁increased ▁the ▁participation ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁elections ▁from ▁ 5 5 ▁to ▁ 7 1 ▁percent . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 7 2 6 ▁and ▁ 1 7 4 2 , ▁women ▁voted ▁in ▁ 1 7 ▁of ▁ 3 1 ▁exam ined ▁mayor al ▁elections . ▁ ▁Report edly , ▁some ▁women ▁vot ers ▁in ▁mayor al ▁elections ▁preferred ▁to ▁appoint ▁a ▁male ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁them ▁by ▁proxy ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁hall ▁because ▁they ▁found ▁it ▁embar rass ing ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁in ▁person , ▁which ▁was ▁c ited ▁as ▁a ▁reason ▁to ▁abol ish ▁women ' s ▁suff rage ▁by ▁its ▁oppon ents . ▁The ▁custom ▁to ▁appoint ▁to ▁vote ▁by ▁proxy ▁was ▁however ▁used ▁also ▁by ▁males , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁common ▁for ▁men , ▁who ▁were ▁absent ▁or ▁ill ▁during ▁elections , ▁to ▁appoint ▁their ▁w ives ▁to ▁vote ▁for ▁them . ▁ ▁In ▁Va asa ▁in ▁Finland ▁( then ▁a ▁Swedish ▁province ), ▁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 :