Years after the #MeToo movement first began, Danish women are demanding gender equality in the workplace. After allegations of sexual harassment across multiple industries, leaders are committing to change.
Nyhavn Canal in Copenhagen, Denmark. D Rishi. CC BY 2.0.
On paper, Denmark has some of the highest markers of gender equality in the world. Around 40% of Danish parliament representatives are women, and the country’s first female prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, was appointed in 2011. Parental leave is split equally between Danish men and women, and Danish men often spend as much time caring for the home as Danish women. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report ranked Denmark as 14th globally, which means that Denmark’s gender divide is statistically very small.
Despite Denmark’s pride in gender equality, Danish women are speaking out against the misogyny and sexual harassment that permeates Danish work culture. At a comedy awards show in August, entertainment personality and host Sofie Linde broke the silence on sexism in the Danish entertainment industry in a bombshell speech. Following her speech, over 1,600 women signed a letter in support of complaints about sexual harassment in the media industry.
This public acknowledgment of sexual misconduct has emboldened more women to speak out. Over 600 doctors and medical students have signed a petition to end gender-based harassment in hospitals, universities and laboratories. In the political sphere, over 300 female politicians have called for reform, using 79 anonymous testimonies to illustrate the overt sexism that plagues the Danish government. Camilla Soee, one of the politicians spearheading this movement, told the BBC: "Once and for all, we wanted to prove that sexism and sexual harassment is part of the political environment."
Former mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen. Jenny Andersson. CC BY 3.0.
As these women confront the men who have both enabled and engaged in widespread sexism in the workplace, many powerful men have been pressured to step down from their positions following allegations of misconduct. The mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, resigned from office on Oct. 19, 2020, after multiple women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment. In a statement to The Copenhagen Post, Jensen said, “I want to be a positive part of the culture change process that has been launched with the second wave of MeToo. I want to go from being a part of the problem to being a part of the solution.”
The Danish pride in gender equality has led to mixed receptions of this movement. Because of the Danish perception that Denmark is gender inclusive and equitable, many Danes believe that feminism is an unnecessary movement. In a poll conducted by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project, only one in six Danes reported themselves as a feminist. The same poll found that two in five Danes believed that the #MeToo movement was unnecessary. As #MeToo finds new footing in Denmark, perhaps attitudes toward Danish feminism will evolve. The women leading this movement are determined to make a lasting impact in the fight for women’s rights.
Sarah Leidich
is currently an English and Film major at Barnard College of Columbia University. Sarah is inspired by global art in every form, and hopes to explore the intersection of activism, art, and storytelling through her writing.