Not Your Mama’s Feminism: The Nordic Model’s Feminist Sales Pitch

The Nordic Model is often introduced to feminist audiences as a kind of political relief valve. Not full criminalization, they say. Not decriminalization either - but a principled compromise. A way to oppose exploitation without “punishing women.” A policy rooted in gender equality, sold as modern, humane, and feminist. It sounds reasonable. That’s the pitch. But like most good sales pitches, it relies on what’s emphasized - and what’s quietly left out.