Finland’s Freaky Friday
Gender inequality is a commonly overlooked issue that many countries face but do little to address. The Girls Takeover program is a way to raise awareness for the gender inequality issue and give women the spotlight. In Finland, a young girl recently switched places with the Finnish prime minister for a day to show people that women have a place in politics.
The Girl’s Takeover program is meant to “call to action for radical social and political change to tear down barriers of discrimination and prejudice that continue to hold girls back” (Plan International). The program takes place on October 11th each year, which is the International Day of The Girl. This momentous day of observance was put into effect by the United Nations in December 2011. The Girls Takeover program allows girls from different countries to swap roles with an important figure and step into the worlds of entertainment, media, business, or politics. In this year's case, a young woman is stepping into the political sphere, acting as the prime minister for a day.
A prime minister is the head of the government in a parliamentary system. It is an extremely important job with various different responsibilities. The current prime minister of Finland is Sanna Marin, thirty-five, making her the youngest prime minister to ever serve. Marin is only the third woman to take on the role of prime minister in Finland. According to Forbes, Marin’s coalition government is made up of five party leaders who are all women under the age of forty. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2020, a report designed to measure gender equality in various countries, Finland ranked third out of 153 countries.
Aava Murto, sixteen, was born in a small village in Finland. On October 7th, Murto served in place of the prime minister of Finland for the day. She used her temporary platform to emphasize the lack of gender equality in areas involving technology. In her speech, Murto said “. . . [G]irls in developing countries are excluded from the digital skills and know-how that could enable them to have a safer, better future. The World Economic Forum has estimated that over 90 percent of future jobs will require advanced digital skills. What will happen to girls, especially the ones who live in developing countries? Inequality affects many of us girls globally and impacts our lives in a variety of ways. That said, we girls are more than just victims, we represent enormous potential.” Murto discussed this topic with Sanna Marin and other important lawmakers and cabinet members.
Gender inequality is a prevalent issue that manifests itself globally. Repairing gender inequities will take a lot of work, but every step toward progress is a step that counts.
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