Marie Bjerre was appointed as Minister for Equality about a year and a half ago, and according to her, a Facebook post from 2021 played a crucial role in her appointment. TV MIDTVEST reports on her considerations. “I actually think that this picture is one of the reasons why I became Minister for Equality – because that’s where my fight for equality began,” says Marie Bjerre.
The post on Facebook caused a storm of anger and critical comments, which Bjerre – who is also the Minister for Digitization – had not anticipated. On May 4, 2021, Marie Bjerre returned to her work as a member of parliament, just eight weeks after giving birth to her daughter Leonora. On this occasion, she shared a selfie on Facebook, smiling as she presented her little daughter in the Vandrehallen at Christiansborg and informed that she was back to work after eight weeks of maternity leave. She also mentioned that she would have her daughter with her at work in the coming months, as Leonora was still very small.
Despite the positive post and the cute baby in the picture, Bjerre was met with a wave of negative comments. Many criticized her for not taking longer maternity leave and believed she should prioritize her little child’s needs more. Some comments also mentioned that she should support her baby’s head more, that small children should be in safe home environments, and that Leonora probably received too many stimuli at Christiansborg.
Speaking to TV MIDTVEST, Marie Bjerre expressed her surprise at the comments, which, according to her, contained many “ugly things” and dictated how she and her husband should live their lives. This sparked her interest in gender equality policies and the need for a greater focus on equality in Danish politics. Marie Bjerre was therefore not only influenced by the critical comments but used the experience as a driving force to engage more deeply in gender equality issues, which ultimately led to her appointment as Minister for Equality.