Many women will be able to relate to the backlash experienced by Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin. ... [+]
Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland has women all over the world dancing right along with her.
The treatment Marin has received since videos of her dancing and partying with friends leaked last week has struck a chord with many women who can relate to the double standards female leaders often face. #SolidaritywithSanna has gone viral on social media, where videos extol Marin's "work hard, play hard" message.
After the videos emerged last week, some political opponents questioned Marin's competence to hold office and others demanded she complete a drug test. Marin agreed to take a drug test (she tested negative), and told reporters, "I did not take drugs, nor did I consume anything other than alcohol. I danced, sang, and partied—perfectly legal things."
"I hope that in the year 2022, it's accepted that even decision-makers dance, sing and go to parties," Marin told reporters. Unfortunately, research suggests that female decision-makers may get more pushback from partaking in these activities, even in current times.
Although many U.S. presidents have been upfront about their alcohol use, female leaders who consume alcohol may face a gender double standard. While drinking alcohol is acceptable for men, women who imbibe are perceived as more masculine and may face backlash. One study found that even men and women who strongly believe in gender equality were more judgmental of women drinking than they were of men. Another study revealed that women who had indulged in alcohol "were positioned as deviant and breaking traditional codes of femininity."
The pushback against Marin was likely amplified due to the dancing in the video. By dancing, Marin brought more attention to her body, and research suggests this could result in a hit to her competence ratings. Although no studies have directly examined the impact of dancing on perceptions of competence, research has examined how a heightened awareness of a woman’s body can impact what people think of her.
One recent study used eye-tracker technology to evaluate the impact of revealing clothing on how awareness of a woman’s body impacts perceptions of her. They found that women who wore revealing clothes were perceived as less honest, trustworthy, competent and electable by both men and women.
"A female candidate for a student senate presidency at a U.S. university wearing revealing clothing was perceived by 191 college students as less honest and trustworthy, electable, and competent than one wearing conservative clothing…Revealing clothing led participants to gaze at sexualized body parts, which, in turn, led to perceiving the candidate as less honest and trustworthy, which lowered evaluations of her competence and electability," the study authors write. Marin’s video likely resulted in similar perceptions.
Since the world has few female leaders, we also haven't had much exposure to the free time of young female leaders. When President Obama wanted to blow off steam, he'd play basketball at the White House. Basketball is likely perceived as masculine, so shooting hoops seemed fitting for a leader. Marin’s singing and dancing with friends may be perceived as feminine, unusual, and out of character for a world leader. Women throughout the world have been posting videos of themselves dancing to normalize this behavior and show their support of the Finnish leader.
Today, Marin’s problems multiplied when a new photo emerged of two women at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Helsinki. The pair were topless, covering their bare breasts with a “Finland” sign. Marin has issued an apology, stating, “In my opinion, the picture is not appropriate. I apologize for it. That kind of a picture should not have been taken, but otherwise, nothing extraordinary happened at the get-together.” To be clear, Marin was not in the photo; it was merely taken at a party at her residence. Although it’s not surprising that the photograph would be controversial, it’s interesting to note one more double standard—male world leaders are regularly photographed without their tops.
Many female employees face double standards like Marin’s on a daily basis. When these women self-promote, speak directly or dominantly, or, as in Marin's case, drink alcohol, they can be perceived as too masculine and can face backlash. If they reveal their feminine side by dancing with friends or revealing their bodies, they're perceived as less competent. In other words, they can't win.
