Marttaliitto - The Martha Organization
The Martha Organization is a Home Economics Extension 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 promote the use of nutritious food, take care of the near environment and kitchen gardens, help families to manage their economies and are also internationally active. The organization has 60 000 members who belong to 1 700 clubs in 16 districts. The extension work is implemented by 60 specialists all over the country.
Adult education is a widening field of activities and is implemented in study groups. The themes vary from human relations and literature to cooking and diets. The organisation has received state subsidy since 1907 for the expenses incurred due to home economics extension.
Marttaliitto is a member of the Nordic Housewives' Association and of the Associated Country Women of the World.
For practical reasons The Martha Organization was in 1924 split into separate Swedish-speaking and Finnish-speaking organizations. The operational idea of Finlands svenska Marthaförbund is to offer education and services in matters related to housekeeping, food, ecological consumption and economy. One general objective has always been to direct societal developments in a sustainable direction. Today Marthaförbundet has about 11,000 members, who are spread throughout the Swedish-speaking region, i.e. along the coast of Finland.
