Tanskanen highlights struggles of rural girls in Finland through new comic project

Riina Tanskanen, 26, stands at the edge of a small, overgrown peninsula, with the smokestacks of a pulp and paper mill rising on the opposite shore. The author and comic artist is currently working on a new comic book focusing on girls from remote areas—those who have grown up in the shadows of factories. “I am a girl from the outskirts myself. I want to give these girls a voice and see them as I once hoped to be seen,” she explains.

Tanskanen believes the visibility of girls from rural areas is an important issue that is often overlooked in feminist discussions. “The significance of these regions is frequently marginalized. I want to highlight how vital the place you grow up in can be.”

Her comic, “Tympeät tytöt” (Annoying Girls), brings to light social injustices particularly regarding the treatment of girls and young women. Tanskanen grew up in Imatra, a town with a strong industrial history, where she experienced a happy yet stressful childhood, marked by the economic concerns facing her peers. “While childhood felt innocent, many children carried deep worries about their families’ financial situations.”

In her community, traditional gender roles persisted, particularly in Eastern Finland and Kainuu, where men were factory workers, and women’s roles remained in domestic or caregiving professions. Tanskanen fears that women, especially from these areas, are driven away, echoing her own decision to leave Imatra for university in Tampere. “It’s sad that girls feel they must leave; when it is constantly told that there is nothing for them here, they might as well believe it.”

In her view, a solution to the issues faced by rural areas lies in recognizing youth-created subcultures and asking girls directly about their needs and aspirations—opening paths for a future they can envision for themselves.