On Sanna Marin and policing of female politicians

The Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin made world headlines this week – not because of any ignominy or scandal, or any particular moral defect, but because she was found (gasp!) “partying” at a nightclub in Finland. The verdict? She’s “unreliable”, says one paper; she lacks “judgment”, says another. And thus, in the shadows of the tabloid press and a relentless patriarchy, Marin was dragged through the mud for… spending a part of her downtime at a venue that ordinary folks would frequent for recreation.
In analysing the ‘backlash’ over Marin, it is hard not to notice the overtly sexist and misogynistic undertones – or overtones – in some of the commentary. Inferring from Marin’s decision to party – on that single evening – the claim that she is ostensibly ‘permissive’ or ‘unbridled’ in her personal ethic; and moving from this observation to the conclusion that she is thus ill equipped to lead a country – despite being one of the more popular leaders in contemporary Finnish history, is downright berserk. The language employed to describe her embeds judgments of purported lasciviousness, or that her recklessness renders her an unscrupulous character, or that she has allegedly ‘disgraced’ and ‘embarrassed’ Finland for enjoying herself. Undergirding this all, of course, is the controlling view that women should only be allowed to enjoy themselves in private – and that any and all behaviours in the public limelight, even in a country as ‘liberal’ as Finland, must be subject to the highest forms of scrutiny.
Now, of course, the sceptic would rejoinder as follows – surely, it’s not about women. Surely, we’d police male politicians for… tearing up the dance floor at a nightclub, too!
Except when Gove and Tugendhat popped down to the Cruz 101 nightclub in Manchester during the Tory Party conference last year, they were praised for knowing how to “have a great time” by a prominent UK paper; another praised them as they “spun and twirled” to Whitney Houston – brilliant stuff. Or, indeed, remember that one time that Cameron took a guest of the highest honour down to the pub to enjoy a splendid serving of fish and chips. Or, indeed, when Trudeau sought to ‘demonstrate his credentials with the people’ by paying a visit to the craft brewery – just two weeks back! Men don’t get nearly as much hate, or bigoted judgment, or bizarre scrutiny and commentary, as women in politics, or elsewhere.
Perhaps the issue with Marin’s being at the nightclub is that she is conflating the public with the private – she “got too close to a few blokes”, so to speak. But who are we to judge an individual for the persons they opt to associate with, and the mannerisms through which they do so? Marin neither broke the law nor engaged in anything morally unsavoury – the only crime she had, was she had fun as a woman! And that’s apparently anathema to armchair critics (often privileged, upper-class or middle-class men), who have little better to do than to indulge in extensive ad hominems against the subject of their political chagrin.
There is so much to talk about – to critique and comment, to oppose and reject – when it comes to the current Finnish administration’s foreign and domestic policies. To hone in on whether its Prime Minister is dancing her heart out, is most certainly counterproductive in virtue of its distractionary and irrelevant nature. If we truly are seeking to make constructive suggestions as to how Finland could move forward and upward – we’d be much better off focusing on policies. What this suggests, by the way, is that we shouldn’t fall for the ‘excuse’ that the critique of Marin’s behaviours is an attempt to rectify the internal malaise plaguing Finland today. Let’s call a spade a spade – the attacks on Marin are blatantly misogynistic.
-- Contact us at [email protected]
-
Which HK district is most defensive in home rental? Ben Kwok
Yes, the border is open. Yet, the business is not back. That has been reflected in the residential rental market in Hong Kong, where 90 per cent was below the pre-pandemic level, according to
-
Talent development takes years, so we should start now Dr. Winnie Tang
Recently, the fever of artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT has swept around the world. Within just two months after its launch in last November, it reached 100 million users. But if you
-
Hong Kong needs a new approach to talent Daniel Cham
Hong Kong has arrived at a critical juncture for its talent market and its economic future. Due to several factors that include the pandemic, emigration, and an ageing population, Hong Kong has a
-
Hong Kong Ballet premieres Coco Chanel Kevin Ng
Hong Kong’s cultural scene is bouncing back. Just after the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Art Basel has returned after three years. And nearby at the Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Ballet
-
How to position our AI supercomputer centre? Dr. Winnie Tang
Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation and Technology and Industry, said that the investment in the proposed AI supercomputer center would be “huge”, and "if you make reference to supercomputer
-
Hong Kong Ballet premieres Coco Chanel
-
Hong Kong needs a new approach to talent
-
How can we better serve travel-deprived consumers in digital age
-
Talent development takes years, so we should start now
-
Long-term benefits of ESG investment
-
Which HK district is most defensive in home rental?
-
Who should be bailed out next?
-
Getting geopolitics right