The Finnish prime minister has been swamped in controversy this week, dragged through press conferences, drug tests, and official statements and apologies. What could she have done to create such upheaval, you might ask? Is she facing criticism for her handling of the covid pandemic? No. A sexual harassment scandal in her administration? No. An unpopular policy being met with criticism by her constituents? No again.
She had a night out with her friends, drinking and dancing and it happened to be recorded on video. Frankly she committed the cardinal sin of being a young woman in politics. It's the same sin that brought down Katie Hill when her ex-husband threatened to leak intimate photos of her to the press. It's the same sin countless young women have faced and will continue to face.
We are on a crash course between technology and misogyny in our politics. Those who are unwilling to share power have a new weapon in their arsenal to bring down a future generation of leaders. Expect to hear that the new young congresswoman's photos show a lack of judgement or a night on the town proves that she's just not ready for the serious work of leadership. It's all baloney and it's the oldest trick in the book.
Times are changing. Things can't stay the same forever and that old system of power and politics didn't work that well for most of us anyway. I don't know about you but I'd rather have a representative with a history of taking selfies than a representative with a history of hate.
