Finland PM Trolled for 'Modelling' in Low-cut Jacket, Netizens Call Out Sexism by Posting Similar Pics

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has come under attack from sexist trolls who objected to a recent photoshoot of the 34-year-old in a "low cut" jacket.

A rigorous women's rights activist and leader of Finland's Centre-left Social Democratic Party, Marin recently appeared on the cover of Trendi magazine in which she was dressed in a slick blazer and a cute necklace.

"Prime Minister Sanna Marini has a leading position as an example, a role model, a change of things, and an influencer. The work is high-pressure, but good sleep and iron nerves help," the magazine wrote on its Instagram page while sharing the image.

No sooner did the photo appear on social media, self-appointed moral police of women's clothes took to Instagram to comment on how the jacket was inappropriate.

"The role of the Prime Minister is to act as a leader and not as a fashion model," one user wrote, adding that by indulging in such photoshoots, Marin was bringing down her own image and credibility in international politics as well as the public eye.

Yet others berated the PM for choosing to not wear a blouse under the blazer despite her blazer being perfectly formal and not all revealing.

The comments, however, have caused an outrage among women and feminists in Finland, many of whom are calling out the sexist trolling and moral policing of the PM. To show solidarity to Marin, many women are now sharing images of themselves dressed in similar jackets without shirts or blouses.

The conservation grew from just being outrage for and against Marin's photo into one about the gendered roles and expectations from male and female politicians. While a Vladimir Putin of Russia is praised for his bravado on social media, women like Marin have to face the flip side. Not just women, men also showed up on social media with jackets sans shirts to support Marin. Some critics even pointed out that it wasn't just Marin's clothing that irked conservatives but also her massive popularity on social and international media.

This is not the first time that a woman politician or head of state has faced a hate campaign thanks to their popularity on news and social media. In 2019, a campaign called #TurnArdern was started by some men in New Zealand in order to make her less profitable for magazines. The organisers argued that they were doing it for the country; if Ardern didn't do the photoshoots for the magazine covers, she would have more time on her hands to do other important things.

Marin herself has been vocal about women's rights in the past. She was recently in news last week after she handed power to a 16-year-old as part of a campaign to promote girls' rights