Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called Iranian state television’s decision to blur her legs during a broadcast of her UN meeting with Iran’s foreign minister a “sad” reflection of women’s treatment in the country.
“My Swedish colleague sent me the video on Friday. My first reaction was that it was amusing. But I immediately added, 'sad too’,” Valtonen told Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest daily newspaper.
She added that she does not change her clothing based on who she is meeting and avoids events that require covering the face or hair.
Valtonen said she raises women’s rights in every meeting with Iranian officials, including this week’s talks.
Iranian state television blurred Valtonen’s legs in a news broadcast of her meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard’s legs were also blurred in the same broadcast. The footage was widely shared on social media, including by Iranian women's rights activist and journalist Masih Alinejad.
Finland’s National Coalition Party, which Valtonen represents, also reacted on Instagram, calling the incident “a sad example of the trampling of women’s rights.”
"This is a reminder of how women around the world are still controlled and erased from visibility. Every woman has the absolute right to be seen, heard, and live freely," the party wrote on a post on Instagram.
"The National Coalition Party stands firmly for women’s rights — both in Finland and globally," it added.
