Anna Kontula, a 48-year-old Finnish lawmaker serving a fourth term, confessed that she began selling sex at age 16 to cover living expenses.
Kontula, a member of the Left Alliance, a progressive party, said on the 6th (local time) that as a student she recruited sex buyers through newspaper ads and worked for about two years, paused after marriage, then returned to the sex trade after her divorce and continued until entering politics.
Finland is a country where prostitution is legal. However, buying sex from anyone under 18 is a criminal offense. In particular, related laws follow the "Nordic model," which penalizes sex buyers. But at the time, consensual prostitution with a 16-year-old was allowed.
Kontula said, "It was to secure living expenses, and it was a fairly rational choice," adding, "I am not ashamed of my experience in prostitution, and it helped my subsequent political career." Kontula, who earned a doctorate in sociology on the topic of "Finland's sex-work industry," has maintained as a researcher that sex work should be viewed as a form of labor that exists within social structures, rather than as a matter of crime or morality.
By contrast, a legal psychologist criticized the remarks in a contribution to Helsingin Sanomat, saying, "It is concerning that Kontula described prostitution as simply working like other people," and, "Making prostitution seem ordinary does not make society more free and fair."
However, with many voices advocating for the rights of sex workers, the debate in Finnish society over the issue is expected to continue for the time being.
Kontula plans to end her parliamentary career at the conclusion of this term. Her confession appears likely to spur broader public debate over prostitution and sex-work policy in Finland.