Finnish Member of Parliament Anna Kontula has publicly disclosed that she worked as an escort for nearly two decades before entering politics. The revelation, made in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat published on Saturday, comes as Kontula prepares to leave parliament and pursue a career in social work.
Kontula, 48, serving her fourth term in the Finnish Parliament, said she began escorting at age 16 while living in a student dorm. She described the decision as driven by both financial hardship and curiosity. “If I wanted to somehow make ends meet… it was a pretty rational solution,” she told HS.
Throughout her career, Kontula has been an outspoken advocate for sex workers’ rights. In 2002, she co-founded the sex workers’ union SALLI and published articles challenging societal perceptions of the industry. She praised Finland’s 2006 law, which partly restricted the purchase of sex, as a step forward, particularly for its protections for trafficking victims.
“Talking about the topic now can bring benefits to social debate [on sex work] and its direction,” Kontula said, explaining why she decided to speak publicly about her past. She also announced plans to train as a social worker, focusing on safe-sex education.
The disclosure has sparked debate in Finland. Legal psychologist Pia Puolakka criticized Kontula in an opinion piece for HS, arguing that describing sex work as “just work among others” risks normalizing the industry. “The task of a civilized state is to guarantee conditions in which no one has to sell their intimacy,” Puolakka wrote.
Prostitution is legal in Finland with certain restrictions. Although Kontula was a minor when she began sex work, it was not prohibited under Finnish law at the time. The 2006 legislation made it illegal to buy sex from minors, trafficking victims, or individuals involved in procurement.
