20 Comments »

1. Congrats!!!

   Comment by Sandun — Wed, Apr 18th, 2007 @ 1:38 pm

2. Despite it being law, and despite the fact that it would be non-feminist of me to say this, but… Is no one else surprised about Paula Lehtomäki’s announcement right after being named minister of the environment that she is going to take about a year off to have a baby?

   She hid her pregnancy as she was vying for this higher-paying post.

   Forget women’s rights for a second, what about the environment?? Or does this indicate what we’ve known all along, that these ministers posts are nothing more than status?

   Comment by DAVE THE RAVE — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 10:50 am

3. I just remembered that this is not the first time Lehtomäki did this. She did the same mother-vacation thing with her last ministerial post, shortly after she was named.

   Comment by DAVE THE RAVE — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 10:52 am

4. Hmmm… my picture isn’t in there. What a way to find out that I won’t be a cabinet minister this time around.

   Denied.

   Comment by gopha — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 11:06 am

5. It wasn’t shortly after she was named. She got married and had her 1st child way after becoming a minister. And from what I understand she wasn’t away from the job for long. As I suspect will be the case this time too.

   But do you remember after the last parliamentary election, when one woman was not given a salkku because she was pregnant? I don’t remember her name…

   I think it is unfair to take a position like this if you know from the start that you’ll be on maternal leave for 1-2 years, but if you’re only going to take a short maternity leave and then leave the kid home with its dad, it’s ok.

   Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 11:11 am

6. She hid her pregnancy as she was vying for this higher-paying post.

   Yeah, no doubt this was planned. It’s a shame that women are forced to do this in Finland. The welfare dictates that women can be on maternity leave for years and the job must be waiting whenever she decides to return. So naturally, Finnish corporations and even the government are weary of females.

   Comment by Phil — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 11:52 am

7. Phil, so should companies just be able to sack women when they become pregnant? Sounds a very sexist argument.

   Comment by JG — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 2:33 pm

8. Phil, so should companies just be able to sack women when they become pregnant? Sounds a very sexist argument.

   That exact scenario happened to a good friend of mine here in Espoo, I’ve spoke about it on here before. She told her boss, “I’ll be having a baby soon, my last day will be X/Y/ZZ” and they said, “Okay, you’re laid-off, your last day is X/Y/ZZ”. She was part of a union, she had contacted them, they did nothing.

   Comment by Phil — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 2:54 pm

9. “Phil, so should companies just be able to sack women when they become pregnant? Sounds a very sexist argument.” JG

   I didn’t say “sacked” but she could have gone for the less-demanding (albeit lower-paying) job of regular parliamentarian, rather than a job that demands more frequent travel, meetings and dealing with the press… I don’t get why it’s okay to be honest.

   If a man in this situation kept his, say, prostate cancer secret and knew that he would be unable to perform the duties while getting treatment for several months but really tried to get the job would that be okay?

   Comment by DAVE THE RAVE — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 3:37 pm

10. She didn’t hide her pregnancy beforehand, at least not from the prime minister. I heard him say in an inteview, that Lehtomäki would have been his choice to continue as the minister of foreign trade, but since “she has happier things happening in her life soon”, they decided, it was better, that she took another post i.e. ministry of environtment.

    Comment by Kaislis — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 4:22 pm

11. She didn’t hide her pregnancy beforehand, at least not from the prime minister. I heard him say in an inteview, that Lehtomäki would have been his choice to continue as the minister of foreign trade, but since “she has happier things happening in her life soon”, they decided, it was better, that she took another post i.e. ministry of environtment.

    Yeah, Vanhanen knew about her pregnancy. I think the reason why they kept it secret was negotiation tactics: they pretended that they were interested in the position of Foreign Minister, so that Kokoomus would have to pay more for that position.

    Comment by Passer-by — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 4:53 pm

12. It would be very peculiar if a pregnant woman was denied a seat in the government. Don’t you folks see it? Really?

    Comment by Anonymous — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 7:24 pm

13. It would be very peculiar if a pregnant woman was denied a seat in the government. Don’t you folks see it? Really?

    Exactly.

    Comment by Passer-by — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 7:33 pm

14. That exact scenario happened to a good friend of mine here in Espoo, I’ve spoke about it on here before. She told her boss, “I’ll be having a baby soon, my last day will be X/Y/ZZ” and they said, “Okay, you’re laid-off, your last day is X/Y/ZZ”. She was part of a union, she had contacted them, they did nothing.

    That is truly terrible and I feel sorry for your friend. That’s terrible that her union did nothing, I wonder why not. This is normally exactly the kind of issue they like to get their teeth into (and only too happily).

    I am sure it does unfortunately still happen in Finland. But, I am sure it happens far easier in countries with more limited employment laws.

    On the subject of women, it is a good sign of progress that we have such a large number of women in the new government. It would be good if we could increase the number in parliament next time.

    Comment by JG — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 7:34 pm

15. “That exact scenario happened to a good friend of mine here in Espoo, I’ve spoke about it on here before. She told her boss, “I’ll be having a baby soon, my last day will be X/Y/ZZ” and they said, “Okay, you’re laid-off, your last day is X/Y/ZZ”. She was part of a union, she had contacted them, they did nothing.”

    If that anecdote is true, then I really wonder why she would leave it at that. If she indeed was also a member of a union and not just “työttömyyskassa”, then she should have sued the employer for illegal termintaion on her own. The union would still have been legally obligated to pay her litigation fees.

    If she did none of the above then she is the only one to blame for her situation. Contrary to the bible, the meek really do not inherit the earth.

    Comment by Fat Bastard — Thu, Apr 19th, 2007 @ 8:17 pm

16. I personally don’t find it bad that there’s fresh women-power, majority, in our parliament.

    Comment by Ato — Fri, Apr 20th, 2007 @ 12:14 am

17. If she did none of the above then she is the only one to blame for her situation. Contrary to the bible, the meek really do not inherit the earth.

    I believe it was a real union and not just a work-insurance thing, and I believe the company had laid off two other people as well at the same time, so they acted like they weren’t singling her out. And it’s tough for a 8 month pregnant woman to start lawsuits etc.., I told my friend to do the same and they had bigger things to worry about.

    Comment by Phil — Fri, Apr 20th, 2007 @ 6:37 am

18. Lehtomäki’s family affairs were in the media before the ministerial post announcement. She had said that the ministerial post for foreign affairs would be out of question due to her family affair..
    Problem with the maternity leave is the lack of paternity leave.

    Comment by dudette — Fri, Apr 20th, 2007 @ 9:55 am

19. Maybe I’m just getting old, or do they really look just like a bunch of young kids (except for Väyrynen & Pekkarinen)? I mean they look more like the cast of “Friends” than serious politicians.

    When I was growing up minister’s were always men in their 60’s or 70’s with balding heads and heavy eyeglasses (if you don’t count Väyrynen who was born as a minister). Not that I miss those old days (or Väyrynen).

    Comment by Suhonen — Fri, Apr 20th, 2007 @ 1:26 pm

20. “…or do they really look just like a bunch of young kids..”

    Heh, looking Jyri Häkämies and especially listening to his voice makes me suspect that successful cloning of Raimo Ilaskivi must have been another dark secret of Kekkoslovakian technology programs along with the studies of uranium enrichment at Valmet factories near Jyväskylä…

    Comment by Antti rn — Fri, Apr 20th, 2007 @ 6:34 pm

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