Why Women in Sweden Are Wearing Pussybow Blouses!
Photo Credit: Glamour
The sophisticated pussybow blouse has become more than a simple fashion trend over the years. It is now a style empowered with feminism symbolism and women empowerment. From the '80s embodiment as a working woman's counterpart for men's traditional shirts to Emma Stone's "Don't Grab My Pussy Bow" take in support of Hillary Clinton following that Trump tape. Well, now it is being worn in solidarity in Sweden after Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in Literature, was ousted after a #MeToo scandal rocked the academy.
It all begins with Jean-Claude Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden--who is married Swedish Academy member and poet Katarina Frostenson. The couple ran a cultural club that apparently has been a recipient of academy money in the past. Well, in November, a Swedish newspaper reported that 18 women accused Arnault of sexual assault and harassment over the span of two decades!
When are we ever going to get past this cycle of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace? At the rate things have been going for the past years, I think this is going to take way longer than anticipated. And I'm not saying only sexual assault and harassment in the workplace should be put an end to, overall this is an issue that needs to be stopped, no matter where it is taking place. But we have to admit that it happens way too often in the workplace! It shouldn't be happening in the first place, but it does. Once we begin talking about these issues in our home, it can reflect on our societies.
Well, back to what I was saying, it also seems like some of these incidents allegedly took place at the club! Danius, who is the first woman to lead the Swedish Academy, was responsible for figuring out how the organization would respond. So, she cut all academy ties with him and hired a law from to investigate the relationship between the academy and the club. Also, Frostenson stepped down from her role in the academy. According to The New York Times, "financial irregularities"were discovered and the academy was encouraged to file a police report by the law firm. However, at the end the organization decided not to file that report.
So, the decision to not file the police report lead to Danius' ousting. Well, the ultimate reasons behind her ousting are still unclear but I believe the failure to file that police report to play a major role. Not that I'm throwing shade, because I'm not but I'm sure Danius' decision to not file a police report caused some of that negative criticism. I'm sure Danius has valid reasons to not taking action in that matter, but of course, when a woman does what she thinks is right, she is dragged down. Moreover, according to the Times, two former academy leaders--of course, both men--called her leadership weak.
This is where women empowerment and sisterhood comes in. Women all over Sweden believe her ousting as unfair, as another case of a woman taking the fall for a man's alleged crimes. After Danius, who is known for wearing pussybow tops (knytblusar, in Sweden), left the academy, her former coworkers and Swedish citizens around the country began to rock their own pussybow blouses as a sign of solidarity. To no surprise, women started posting on social media using the hashtag, #knytblusförsara. Even Sweden's minister of democracy and culture, Alice Bah Kuhnke, took to Instagram to share a photo of herself in solidarity. In a radio interview she stated, "I find it frustrating that such conflict ends with two women having to step out of the way. I can't accept that."
