All over the world people have been voicing their opinions on the Sanna Marin controversy. Now, New Zealand Prime Mininster Jacinda Ardern is sharing her own reflection on the situation.
As Finland’s Prime Minister, Marin was seen dancing and partying with friends in private footage that was leaked online. In response to the backlash that followed, Marin has said she’s disappointed that the private videos have gone public but that she was simply having fun with friends in her free time.
Questions regarding whether politicians should have the right to party with friends, followed the Marin leak. But this week, in a video that received a different response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was seen downing a beer at a concert.
In a recent press conference, Ardern was asked if she had any reflections on the double standards that female politicians are faced with compared to their male counterparts in the behaviours they’re expected to conform to.
“Yeah, so as you know, I tend not to jump into the domestic political situations of any other leader or country,” says Ardern. “But my one general reflection is that ever since I’ve been in this role, I’ve really had a mind to whether or not we are attracting people to these jobs. We need people from all walks of life to look to politics and feel ‘that’s a place I can make a positive difference’.
“That’s one of my reflections. How do we make sure that we attract people to politics rather than perhaps has been historically the case– put them off.”
Ardern and Marin are often compared to one another since both are young, female leaders with centre-left outlooks managing coalition governments.
When Ardern took office at age 37, she became the world’s youngest female head of government. And in 2019, Marin took over this title when she entered office at age 34.
The two are role models to many and bring progressive outlooks to their leadership positions.
With Ardern as PM, NZ’s Labour Party has placed a focus on achieving diversity of representation in its caucus.
The Labour’s party room had a female majority for the first time after its 2020 election and NZ’s current parliament includes representatives from a record number of ethnic backgrounds as well as having ranked as the highest LGBTQI representation of any law making chamber in the world.
The reporter’s question to Ardern about Marin’s controversial situation mentioned the double standards that female politicians face and one recent example of this has been pointed out right here in Australia.
On Monday, Prime Minister, Albanese, was cheered on after he sculled a beer at the Gang of Youths concert in Sydney.
In relation to Marin’s actions, the contrast lies in the public’s response to the situation of two leaders of different genders.
Marin says there was only alcohol at the party and even underwent a voluntary drug test that came back negative to scrap any arguments that she might have been on drugs.
Largely praised for her political leadership in her handling of the pandemic, her climate policies and for leading Finland out of decades of neutrality to apply for NATO membership after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Marin has made public apologies for the leaked footage of her with her friends.
The women of Finland certainly have their PM’s back as many are posting videos and memes to social media of themselves dancing and having fun, using #solidaritywithsanna.
As for Ardern’s sympathetic comments for Marin, they beg the question: If the goal for politics is to attract more women to leadership roles, will putting a harsher spotlight on them help achieve that?