The Martha Organization

The Martha organization is a Finnish home economics organization, which was founded in 1899 to promote the quality and standard of life in the home. It also carries out cultural and civic education.

The Marthas

• enhance the use of nutritious food
• take care of the near environment and kitchen gardens
• help families to manage their economies
• are active also internationally

How it began

Towards the end of the 19th century Finland was struggling through hard times under the Russian Empire. A number of far-sighted women understood that in order to withstand the hardships Finland needed a responsible and enlightened population. For the achievement of this it was important to start educational work at grass-root level, which is why the Martha Association was founded in 1899. Very soon it was realized that advice on very basic skills was needed in the home, and the association started to do home economics work, first by making house-to-house visits which soon developed into planned courses.

The modern Martha

Today home economics work is the main activity in the organization. We deal with food and nutrition, home gardening and environmental protection, household economics and consumer issues. In addition to this the Marthas take part in a variety of campaigns together with other organizations and authorities. Adult education is an important field of activities and is implemented in study groups. The themes vary from human relations and literature to cooking and diets.

The organization

As time passed the Martha organization gained a firm footing both in rural areas and in towns and its membership grew to the present number of 40 000. The members are organized into 1 200 local clubs headed by elected leaders. The organization is divided into 16 districts. Each district association has an executive director, employed specialists and an elected governing body. The national Marttaliitto (The Martha Association) has its headquarters in Helsinki. A magazine called Martat (untill 2007 Emäntälehti, Home Maker Magazine) has been published since 1902, and material on home economics is produced continuously. The organization has received a State subsidy since 1907 for the expenses incurred by home economics.

We are international

Marttaliitto is a member of the Nordic Women Association and of the Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW).

At present the Martha organization funds a development cooperation project in Burkina Faso where a bakery using solar energy is being founded. With the profits of the bakery a local women's NGO Pag-La-Yiri will employ extension workers to teach nutrition and hygiene questions in 200 burkinabé villages.

We also teach organizational skills, environmental issues and use of natural products such as herbs and mushrooms to women's groups in the Russian Carelia.