Stockmann once again proposes International Women's Day as a national flag day in Finland

Stockmann, online news 8 March 2026

In Finland, International Women's Day is not an official flag day or public holiday, unlike in nearly 30 other countries. For Stockmann, women's rights are an important part of history and especially of the future. Stockmann has now submitted to the Ministry of the Interior, for the second time, a proposal to establish Women's Day as an official flag day in Finland.

On International Women's Day, 8 March, Stockmann will raise the Finnish flag at its department stores in Helsinki city centre and Tampere and encourages others to do the same in support of women's rights.

On 6 March 2026, Stockmann submitted its proposal to the Ministry of the Interior to make Women's Day an official flag day in Finland. Stockmann previously applied for official flag day status for the day last year. At present, Finland has seven official flag days and an additional 15 established flag days.

"Even though Women's Day is not yet an official flag day in Finland, we at Stockmann want to celebrate and honour the day by raising the flag. We also encourage other companies, housing associations, public institutions and private individuals to do the same. Applying for an official flag day is a small but, in our view, meaningful symbolic act to highlight women's rights," says Maiju Niskanen, Stockmann's Chief Brand and Offering Officer.

Women's rights are part of Stockmann's history and future

Stockmann has been promoting the position of women since the 1940s when Stockmann's own sales school played a part in making it possible for women to enter working life. The company also established a creche for employees' children at a time when municipal childcare was not yet available. In an era when women could not, for example, go to a restaurant without a male escort, they were always welcome at Stockmann, whether shopping or enjoying the department store's cafés and restaurants.

"We are proud that Stockmann has been able to represent independence and freedom to our customers and employees for decades. The history and, above all, the future of our company could not be built without the many wonderful career stories we have created over the years together with our female employees," Niskanen adds.

Today, 78% of Stockmann's customers are women, as are 81% of its employees. The company has also previously spoken out visibly in support of equality. In 2018, Stockmann changed its name to Stockwomann to highlight the importance of equality and to celebrate womanhood.

Further information:
Maiju Niskanen, Chief Brand and Offering Officer, tel. +358 40 704 0314

Stockmann is a marketplace for a good life, founded in 1862. Its department stores are known for high-quality selections of fashion, beauty and home brands. In the Baltics, Stockmann also offers quality food and beverages. Stockmann has seven department stores in Finland and the Baltics and an online store stockmann.com. Stockmann is part of Lindex Group plc, which is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki and had a turnover of EUR 952 million in 2025. www.lindexgroup.com.