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TOWARDS GENDER DISCRIMINATION: Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen describes the Metoo wave in the country as the beginning of much-needed change. Photograph: Geoffroy van der Hasselt / TT NYHETSBYRÅN
A wave from Metoo is now sweeping Denmark. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen admits that she has known her party’s culture for a long time.
Over the past week, a number of Metoo incidents have emerged, involving key Danish politicians. On Monday, Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen, among others, had to resign after a series of allegations of sexual harassment by younger members of the party.
The Metoo ball started rolling again this fall in Denmark when Sofie Linde, a profile anchor, in early September took on sexism hard in the media industry.
After this, several women, also in politics, have followed in Linde’s footsteps and shared their stories of abusive statements, sexism and abuse of men in positions of power.
Linde is now being hailed by, among others, former Copenhagen Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. They believe Linde’s outspokenness has been crucial in getting more people to come forward, including several young women affiliated with the Social Democrats.
Prime Minister Frederiksen writes in her Facebook post that she should have come to terms with this first, not Linde.
– It is not fair that Sofie Linde has started this process in the Social Democrats. I should have done it myself.
– I have not done my job as a leader well enough, she writes.
Here you can watch Sofie Linde’s Metoo thunder speech on September 8 this year:
It must have touched women – now it’s gone
Three days after it emerged that the mayor of Copenhagen from her own party, the Social Democrats, was stepping down, the Prime Minister himself wrote on Facebook that the debate on gender discrimination and harassment has now returned with great force.
The former mayor who has now resigned is accused, among other things, of touching the thighs of two political women. This must have happened no later than after a Town Hall meeting in 2017, and the woman who notified about this is anonymous, writes dr.dk.
Also the former secretary of organization of the Social Democrats, Maria Gudme, recently shared her experience with Jensen from 2012. In this case, she also had to touch Gudme with a hand on her thigh.
Jensen subsequently apologized to the women for experiencing his behavior as unpleasant and harassing.
The Prime Minister confirms in her Facebook post that sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct is something she has known to be going on in her party for a long time.
– This has been the case for too long. We, as a party, must take this seriously. This also applies to me as the party leader and prime minister of the country. Cases should not be ignored. They must be handled correctly, writes Frederiksen.
Chancellor accused of rape
A 2008 incident with the current Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod was also announced in connection with the Metoo deal that is now in place in the party.
He has admitted to having sex with a 19-year-old younger girl in connection with a party seminar at Esbjerg University College.
The girl was 15 when it happened, which is basically older than the age of consent in Denmark.
As Kofod was one of those responsible for the event, the so-called “school teacher clause” is still in force, which in such responsibilities raises the minimum sexual age from 15 to 18 years. Therefore, this is considered an illegal sexual relationship, under Danish law, reports Danske BT. The incident is now being investigated by the police.
FOREIGN MINISTER ACCUSED: It was also recently announced that an indictment was received from Metoo against the current Foreign Minister, Jeppe Kofod. The accusation must be prosecuted by the police, even if it is 12 years ago.
The Prime Minister is familiar with the case and, according to BT, has stated that it is serious, but that she still has confidence in Kofod as Foreign Minister.
At the same time, Frederiksen also admits that he should have gotten out earlier to deal with the culture at the party itself.
– Sofie Linde’s appeal has provided an opportunity for reflection and self-reflection. I haven’t done my job well enough as a leader. I myself have been a member of the Social Democrats since I was young and I know many corners of the party, she writes on Facebook.
New documentary: The hidden abuses of the parties
Also in a new documentary series on Danish TV2, “The hidden abuses of the parties”, the sexist culture in politics is reviewed.
In the documentary, nine women appear and tell about abuse, unwanted contact and sexism within youth policy in the country between 2011 and 2017.
Here a total of 54 witnesses between the ages of 14 and 19 are interviewed.
Several of the cases have been reported to the police, but no one has been ultimately convicted of the charges, reports TV2.dk.
The Social Democrats are among the various parties mentioned in the documentary, along with the youth of the Liberal Party, the Youth of the Liberal Alliance and the Alternative party.
Social Democrat member and Prime Minister Frederiksen is now demanding that arrangements be made for a new political culture that everyone can safely join. She believes that the Metoo wave in Denmark is now a step in the right direction.
– That we now recognize this is absolutely crucial, writes Frederiksen in conclusion about the behavior that has now been revealed.
