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By Andrew Stanton
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The Female Quotient, an organization with more than 3 million Instagram followers, drew criticism from some of its supporters over a video it posted featuring Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Newsweek reached out to the organization for comment via an online contact form and email.
The organization was founded to advance workplace equality for women and hosts an Equality Lounge at the forum, where speakers discuss issues affecting women, including bias, pay gaps and leadership gaps. This year, it featured Trudeau, the former Canadian leader who left office last year.
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Perry, during an event featuring Trudeau, snuck into the lounge “to support" him, according to a video posted by the group to Instagram. Perry and Trudeau have been dating and have appeared together at Davos this week.
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“Canada’s former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his girlfriend, pop star Katy Perry, joined us in the FQ Lounge at #WEF26,” the account posted. “Katy was supporting Justin as he and Katie Telford, his former Chief of Staff, reminded us that it’s not enough to just notice a lack of women and diversity in the room; we have to design systems that actually bring women and under‑represented voices forward and give them space to lead.”
It touted her appearance as a “reminder that showing up matters.”
Followers, however, were split on the video.
While some praised the couple, others questioned why the account, which generally focuses on women's empowerment in business, posted about their relationship.
“This ain't it. Celebrities sitting around philosophizing while taking no actual steps to uplift women shouldn't be getting your amplification. Who cares who Justin or Katy is dating?” posted Instagram user @saraannb.
“I’ve been a supporter of The Female Quotient for years because of its commitment to empowering women. That mission has genuinely inspired me,” wrote @ari_ab16. “That said, not every woman or public figure represents the kind of empowerment that helps advance other women’s dreams. In my view, this post—and the choice to spotlight it—doesn’t reflect the values The Female Quotient has consistently stood for.”
Dr. Niloofar Dehghan, an orthopaedic trauma surgeon, raised concerns about Trudeau’s record.
“Agree with others, it’s disappointing to see this post. While he talks the talk, he actually fired two women in his administration because they stood up to him and wouldn’t do unethical things he asked them to do. How about you highlight them, this account is supposed to be about women empowerment. Not men doing the bare minimum,” she wrote.
Trudeau faced criticism after he removed two women, Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, from his party's caucus in 2019. They had accused him of meddling in a criminal case amid the SNC-Lavalin controversy, the BBC reported. His government was accused of improperly pressuring Wilson-Raybould, then the justice minister, to drop an investigation into SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. Trudeau had denied any wrongdoing in the case and denied that their ouster had anything to do with gender.
"We have an extraordinary range of extremely strong women in our caucus and cabinet who continue to work on good things for Canadians," he said at the time, reported Canadian news outlet CBC.
Trudeau was the first Canadian leader to have a cabinet with an equal number of men and women serving.
Others defended the post.
“I was in the room and it was a superb conversation. The videographer who caught this exchange between Trudeau and Katy Perry deserves a raise,” wrote @omawumio.
A Katy Perry fan page @kursatperry responded, “Some people in the comments seem to have completely forgotten katy’s decades of actively supporting women in the music industry and choose to judge her without even knowing her?
also, y’all say this page is about supporting women, yet you’re attacking another woman in the comments??”
What Has Justin Trudeau Said in Davos?
According to the Canadian news outlet Global News, Trudeau discussed the importance of Canada’s “soft power” during an address this week. He also advocated for free trade focused on women’s equality, environmental protection and high labor standards, the Global News reported.
“Never underestimate the resolve, the motivation and strength of people standing up to defend their sovereignty, their identity, their very existence,” he said, according to the news outlet.
CBC reported that he said the world is entering a “transition period where we are creating the new world we live in.” He warned about a “seen a backsliding of democracies and democratic values everywhere around the world, including in some of the world's historically strongest democracies.”
Trudeau, a member of the Liberal Party, served as prime minister of Canada for nearly a decade from November 2015 to November 2025. He announced last year plans to step down as the nation’s leader, and he was succeeded by the current Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Canada, US Relationship Tense Amid World Economic Forum
The tense relationship between the U.S. and Canada was on display during the World Economic Forum. While the two countries have long been close, President Donald Trump has floated the idea of acquiring Canada since his return to office. That has not been well received by Washington’s neighbors to the north.
Trump, during his address, said Canada has received “a lot of freebies” from the U.S. and “should be grateful.”
"Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said.
Update 1/22/26, 12:18 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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