Sweden, the land of the first pacemaker, ultrasound, and zipper, is also home to the first “feminist government.” As the Swedish government’s website states:
A feminist government ensures that a gender equality perspective is brought into policy-making on a broad front, both nationally and internationally. Women and men must have the same power to shape society and their own lives.
So, it seemed only natural that when Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin signed a new climate law, that she’d be surrounded by seven of her female staff members. Lövin tweeted a photo of the event:
Just signed referral of Swedish #climate law, binding all future governments to net zero emissions by 2045. For a safer and better future. pic.twitter.com/OqOO2y8BU6
— Isabella Lövin (@IsabellaLovin) February 3, 2017
Speculation began to swirl around whether or not the “feminist” government was trolling President Donald Trump’s all-male photo. Lövin told the Huffington Post, it was up to the “observer to interpret the photo.”
While girl gangs all over Twitter praised the all-female picture, a photo from five days later raised questions as to how “feminist” they really are. During a visit to Iran, headed by Sweden’s Foreign Minister Anne Linde, state officials donned head scarves and hijabs.
Despite the country website’s proclamation that “women and men must have the same power to shape society and their own lives,” every representative gave in to the mandate that a woman must have her head covered.
In a photo posted to Twitter, the men, by contrast, appear to be wearing simple suits:
First Feminist Swedish Government visits Iran wearing headscarves…Sweden is on fire as immigrants rape and murder women. Feminist? How so? pic.twitter.com/q5zxFATzkq
— Donald J. Mouse (@MrDonaldMouse1) February 21, 2017
According to National Review, Linde claimed her only two options were to either send an all-male delegation or cover up. However, one prominent figure in France’s current political scene found a third option.
France’s conservative presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been accused of using “heated and offensive” rhetoric, campaigning on a strict immigration, and anti-European Union platform, according to Fox News.
With a seemingly slim chance to win, “rabid fans,” and the target of ongoing media attacks, she’s been dubbed the “female Trump.”
During an official visit to Beirut, the candidate for the Les Républicains party showed Lebanon’s government just who they’re dealing with. On Tuesday, Le Pen was set to meet with Lebanon’s grand mufti (top Sunni Muslim leader), Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian.
According to the Washington Post, upon her arrival at his office, one of his aides handed her a white head scarf. After a brief conversation, Le Pen took a firm stance, and told the aide:
“You can pass my consideration on to the grand mufti, but I am not putting the veil on.”
The presidential candidate then turned around, got in her car, and left. The exchange was captured on video and posted to Twitter:
#TuesdayMotivation Marie Le Pen flat out refuses to wear the headscarf when meeting Lebanon's grand mufti! pic.twitter.com/0blAIizDZF
— Lisa Rohlfing (@lingling23) February 21, 2017
Le Pen claimed the Lebanese cleric’s office knew about her stance on head scarves ahead of time. She reportedly said:
“They didn’t cancel the meeting, so I thought they would accept the fact that I wouldn’t wear one. They tried to impose it upon me.”
A statement by the mufti’s office called her behavior “inappropriate,” and claimed the veil is just “protocol.”
At the end of her three-day visit, Le Pen told reporters that she considers the headscarf a “symbol of a woman’s submission,” and drew upon an interesting contradiction she noticed. ABC reported she said:
“I note that when Marine Le Pen refuses to don the headscarf, it is criticized, but when Michelle Obama refused to do it in Saudi Arabia, it was considered admirable.”
Despite criticism from detractors that the two situations are incomparable, Le Pen’s stance had some praising her on Twitter as a “true feminist.”
