In Finland, unlike in many other countries, 8^th March - International Women’s Day - is not an official flag day. In Stockmann’s opinion, it definitely should be, and they have once again submitted a proposal to the Ministry of the Interior to make the day an official flag day in Finland as well. That is why Stockman raised the Finnish flag at its department stores in central Helsinki and Tampere. Women’s rights are an important part of Stockmann’s history, present, and future. Stockmann has promoted the position of women since the 1940s, when their own sales training school helped enable women to enter working life. They also established a daycare center for the children of employees at a time when municipal childcare was not yet available. Its department stores offered women a place to spend time and act independently at a time when that was not self-evident. Today, 78% of Stockmann’s customers and 81% of its employees are women.