As part of an internship program, she has to interview one chosen person or group from the country  covered in her thesis. Last year she chose the Netherlands and this year she wanted to present a topic that is, unfortunately, not very popular in her country: feminism.

Katalin: “As I searched through the infinite Google pages, I found your [IAW] website and immediately thought that this is the right choice. I was fascinated by the articles that I read on your website and I am really curious about what it is like to work at a place that is based on respect and acceptance.”

We – Lyda and I – decided to follow up on her request and also asked Erica van Engel to join in order to represent three generations (80+, 60+ and 50+) and three cities in the Netherlands: The Hague, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The interview took place on 23.06 via Google Meet as a platform:  Katalin asked us various questions to talk about together. I will focus on two issues:

1. Personal presentation and connection to IAW
2. How is the situation in the Netherlands

Ad 1. Lyda Verstegen, honorary president of IAW, is a lawyer and was working as an assistant to the clerk in the Netherlands parliament in the fifties. She had to leave her job after having a baby. In the nineties she became very active in the Dutch affiliate of IAW – Vrouwenbelangen – and has worked many years in this century to improve the constitution and by-laws of IAW.

Arina Angerman is a historian and has been working as a programme manager to improve the participation of women in political decision-making in the nineties. She has helped IAW to remain visible on Twitter since October 2014 when she became a Board Member of European Women’s Lobby

Erica van Engel is an entrepreneur, founder of Belief in Business & Styles With A Story.  Erica was born in Surinam, a former colony of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South America. Erica represents IAW in UNIDO, headquartered in Vienna. Erica was raised by a single mother and is now one herself. Her mother is a strong and inspiring role model, as is Erica to her daughter.

Ad 2. Lyda Verstegen remembers the period in the fifties very well when women had to leave their job when they got married.

Arina Angerman became a conscious feminist in 1979 when she was a member of the herstory group and discussed the possibility of having an abortion.

Erica van Engel points out the BIG issue that 3 out of 4 Dutch women are working part time and 1 out of 2 women are not economically independent. The Netherlands are only #31 in Gender Gap Index.

The interview with Katalin was a nice experience.

We wish to share with the younger generation: remain economically independent, remain hopeful, and look for supporting feminist men!

The post Feminism in the Netherlands – an intergenerational dialogue appeared first on International Alliance of Women.

IAW has in her beautiful logo Ius Suffragii, which is Latin for ‘The Right of Suffrage’.  As IAW representative I am a member of the EWL Women in Politics Working Group, whose purpose is “To position women at the heart of political participation and decision-making i.a. develop a campaign strategy to achieve parity democracy – meaning 50% women in the European Parliament in the 2019 elections and 50% women in the new European Commission.” Our first ‘online’ meeting in 2018 is planned and will be facilitated by Daniela Picher, new Policy and Campaigns Director at EWL. She (like me and other feminists) fiercely believes in feminist leadership and women’s power as an active agent of change!

Suffragette
Did you watch the film ‘Suffragette’ (2015) too? The British film director Sarah Gavron got an award for this ‘outstanding’ drama film as you can read in the contribution by Greek League for Women’s Rights in the Reports for Congress 2017 in Nicosia (page 73) at IAW website. Suffragette is “a valuable and compelling reminder of the history of feminism and the need to promote women’s rights across the globe”. Sarah Gavron wrote “As we know the struggle for women’s rights goes on …”.

In February 2018 I participated as an EWL Board Member in the EIGE – Civil Society Consultation meeting in Vilnius. I was wearing this beautiful IAW brooch (a present from former IAW treasurer Marijke Peters)  and my nails were purple, white & green.

YES I’m happy to live in a time when Votes for Women are a reality- also in Switzerland for Jessika Kehl-Lauff & in South Africa for Mmabatho Ramagoshi (both former IAW Board Members).

The post Rise to power by and through feminists F/M  appeared first on International Alliance of Women.