A couple hundred years ago, the countries of the world were poor and unequal. Since then, some countries rose out of poverty and became more equal, some did not. One of the explanators of the difference has been women's agency, which has been conditional on access to the labour market. This study deals with the relation between economic development and women's agency in pre-industrial Finland. In it, sparce original sources are used to compile the first long-term statistical data on women´s wages. A time series analysis is used to examine how women's wages have evolved and varied between regions and relative to men. The research is carried out at the Department of History and Ethnology of the University of Jyväskylä. It deepens knowledge on the role of women in Finland's development of wealth and equality. Poverty and inequality have not disappeared from the world. Historical research can show that change is possible and thus bring not only hope, but also inspire to demand change.

2023

2027