The theme is equal conditions regardless of gender in Sami society, and a question that is asked is: “How equal is Sápmi really?”
And there are several things to work with, says Inga Biret Márjá Triumf, reindeer herder from Kautokeino on the Norwegian side.
“Sex compensates for the reindeer”
– You have to do more as a woman to show that you can handle the job than young men have to do. I have experienced that if a young man is in the forest and does something wrong, you just say “yeah, remember not to do that next time”. If a young woman makes a mistake, they say straight away: “It’s because you’re a woman,” says Inga Biret Márjá Triumf.
According to her, there are many young women who want to invest in reindeer husbandry but do not dare, because women are not given the same place as men.
– A voice in the head says “you’re a woman, you don’t belong here”. But as long as you know how to work with the reindeer, it makes up for the reindeer whether you are a woman or a man, says Inga Biret Márjá Triumf.
“Menstruation is not a disease”
Even in other parts of Sápmi, gender equality work lags behind compared to society at large, says researcher Rauna Kuokkanen.
The arrival of Christianity in Sápmi has made it embarrassing to talk about the female body and women’s health, according to her. And it lives on to this day.
– An example is menstruation. In Sami we have the word mánnodávda, monthly illness. But it is not a disease, but a natural process.
Don’t miss “15 minutes from Sápmi” which is broadcast Saturday at 16:05 in SVT2. Or already now on SVT Play.