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#MeToo in Christiansborg: Hundreds report cases of sexism in Danish politics

Luke Roberts
September 29th, 2020


This article is more than 4 years old.

While some reflect poor attitudes, others reveal criminal acts that should have been punished by time in prison

The article, published in Politiken, adds fuel to the ongoing debate around sexism (photo: News Øresund – Johan Wessman)

MPs have expressed their shock that so many female party members have claimed to have been the victim of, or a witness to, sexism in Danish politics.

The revelation comes as the #MeToo debate further entrenches itself in the Danish news cycle, as the emphasis moves away from experiences in the media to experiences in politics.

Acknowledgement “once and for all” 
Four women were behind the article published in Politiken, which collected 322 signatures from current and former members of virtually all of Denmark’s political parties.

They are hopeful that such shocking figures will finally force the political parties into action.

Of the signatories, 79 chose to share accounts of their experiences – many for the first time (see below).

Shocked and dismayed 
Sofie Carsten Nielsen, an MP for Radikale, said in a tweet that “everyone should read these testimonies before they say anything more” and that “no-one should ever ask these women to shut up again”.

It follows claims last week from Inger Støjberg, the acting chair of Venstre, that the #MeToo debate in Denmark was “going overboard”.

READ MORE: Former immigration minister: Danish MeToo getting “out of hand”

Socialdemokratiet MP Rasmus Stoklund described the reports as “terrible and shocking”, expressing hope that they play an important role in stamping out sexism in Danish politics for good.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”