The Finnish Club's chairman Veli-Pekka Dufva will leave the organization entirely. He announced his decision after members voted against admitting women.
Dufva said he tried to push for change but failed. Eight of nine board members had threatened to resign if women weren't accepted as members.
The club voted on female membership Thursday. Support for change actually dropped from last year.
"The Finnish Club's purpose is to promote Finnishness and positive Finnish culture," Dufva stated. "If women cannot participate in that, I find it wrong. Then I don't want to be involved either."
The eight board members who opposed the exclusion will leave at year's end. Dufva noted the minority who voted against women's membership can now continue the club's operations alone.
This traditional Finnish association has debated female membership before. The latest vote shows resistance to modernization remains strong within some circles of Finnish society.
Why would an organization exclude half the population while claiming to represent national culture? The contradiction highlights ongoing tensions between tradition and equality in Nordic countries.