Can Women Live?

Society derives pleasure in mistreating of women. Expecting women to function in strict societal roles alone and not have to be themselves free from social expectations is unacceptable. Women can be mothers and caregivers and hold office under supervision but when they cross the line to go after what resonates with their soul, they are called out.

The case of the Finnish prime minster brings to the fore this issue of double standards. Sanna Marin is just like everyone with goals, ambition, and things that make them thick. She is like every extrovert who enjoys the company of others and would invest in it if there are no pressing things demanding their time and attention. But the event of her partying with friends became a national concern through the outbursts of the opposition. They used the video evidence of topless women dancing in the party to rope Marin into a lifestyle of partying, alcohol and drug use. The subtle remark is that she has no right to even be at a party with her friends because she is serving the people as their Prime Minister.

People who were crucifying her cannot be without speck in their own eyes. When a male politician party and share drugs away from the eyes of the media, they are men doing what men do. When a woman does the same, shame should follow.

When we bring this closer home, we see that Black Women have their share of double standard treatment. In the 2022 Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee allowed Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva to compete despite testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Remember Sha’Carri Richardson? The African American star track athlete who was favored to win gold in the 2021 Olympics but was disqualified after testing positive for marijuana, which she used in coping with the death of her mother.

That is just one of many double standards against women where they take the fall but have to apologies. It seems double standards will remain a sad reality of our world because too many people choose to live in darkness, seeing truth with half of a half of their eyes. We will, however, continue to call it out wherever we find this double standard.

Written by Adese Okojie