ABOUT US
Mission
Vote for a Woman is committed to improving the political representation and emancipation of women by ensuring more women are elected and remain active in politics
Vote for a Woman strives for all girls and women in the Netherlands to see themselves represented in politics. That is not yet a reality: all women are underrepresented in politics. Only about 30 percent of Dutch politicians are women. The underrepresentation is most pronounced for young women, women of color, women with a refugee background, women with vocational, higher education, or high school diplomas, LGBTQ+ women, and women with physical or mental disabilities.
It is important for the aspirations of girls and women to see themselves represented, as this causes greater confidence and engagement in politics. Achieving political equality contributes to the emancipation of women through policy, leading to greater gender equality in all aspects of society.
In this idea of the future, where politics truly reflects the people, there is naturally attention to the issues that affect women and girls. There is widespread societal awareness about the importance of representation in terms of gender and other aspects of identity. And gender is a consistent factor considered in the development and implementation of policies.
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What do we do?
Origin of the Foundation
The idea for Vote for a Woman originated in Suriname. In 1996, the women’s organization Women’s Parliament Forum (VPF) conducted a campaign with the slogan: Choose consciously, Vote for a Woman. In this campaign, the people of Suriname were encouraged to vote for women; at that time, only about 10 percent of the seats in the Surinamese parliament were held by women. Twenty years later, in December 2016, Devika Partiman (initiator of Vote for a Woman) saw this flyer in a display case at the Fort Zeelandia museum in Suriname. This inspired the idea to start an initiative in the Netherlands to improve the political position of women.
Voting campaigns
In January 2017, for the first time, a group got together supporting the idea to have more women elected during the House of Representatives elections that year. We decided to focus on the strategy of preferential voting, urging voters to cast their votes for women further down the list. Traditionally, many people already vote for women. However, they often vote for the highest-ranked woman on the list, who, due to her high position, no longer needs those votes to be elected. To get more women into politics, you need to vote strategically. By voting for women in so-called “unelectable” positions, they can still be elected. They then take the place of a higher-ranked candidate, who is often a man.
The first election campaign in 2017 was an immediate success; three additional women were elected to the House of Representatives through preferential votes. It was a historic event; never before had so many additional women entered the House of Representatives through preferential votes. Compared to the 2012 elections, nearly twice as many preferential votes were cast for women outside the top polling positions.
As a foundation, we decided to continue and quickly gained more recognition. In the municipal elections of 2018, voters in just the 70 largest municipalities alone elected over 75 women to the council through preferential votes. In 2019, 42 additional women were elected to provincial and water council positions through preferential votes. In 2019, three more women were elected to the European Parliament through preferential voting, marking the first time the Dutch delegation in Parliament was composed equally of women. In 2021, again three additional women were elected to the House of Representatives. In 2022, across municipalities throughout the Netherlands, a remarkable 459 additional women were elected to local councils through preferential votes. And in 2023, 33 additional women were elected to provincial and water councils through preferential votes.
At this moment, we are still best known by our voting campaigns. But we do much more.
Activities
A selection of the foundation’s activities:
- In the Vote for a Woman Mentor Network we annually provide mentorship and training to dozens of women with political aspirations. Since 2023, there has also been a buddy network for women who are already politically active.
- With the training Political Entrance we offer an accessible introduction for women interested in politics. And in the training ‘Managing online hate’ we assist political organizations and factions with managing their online security and establishing internal support systems.
- We organize events and network gatherings for women who are politically active or aspiring to be.
- We conduct research on women in politics. This includes both data research and investigations into barriers that women face in becoming and remaining politically active.
- In the ‘Safe in Politics’ working group we collaborate with national political parties to create a safer environment for all politicians.
Board
The board members are:
Anne-Floor van Tilburg
Chair
Parisa Elah-Madadzadeh
Treasurer
Raissa Biekman
Secretary
Kirsten van den Hul
General board member
Team
Director: Devika Partiman
Mentor Network: Laura Iqbal (project leader)
Politica Alliance: Julia Müller (coördination)
Florine Keus (movement building)
Dyonne Niehof (lobby)
Zahra Runderkamp (research)
Communication: Didi van Dam (social media manager)
Sarafina Jozefzoon (graphic designer)
Additional support: Annefleur Schut, Marie-Louise Beekmans, Roosmarijn Morren, Soraya Berger
Website: Kirpunt, Nieuw Bestand, Zeppa
With thanks to
With thanks to all who have contributed to the foundation over the past years (alphabetically):
Bianca Pander, Charisa Chotoe, Dorien Partiman, Eliza Marx, Esther Baar, Esther Crabbendam, Eva van Rijnberk, Fleur Leijte, Floortje Fontein, Gina Lafour, Henriette Hoogervorst, Juliana Peerboom, Judith Stevens, Kathelijne Niessen, Katy Hofstede, Laurie Vedder, Lena Kaarow, Liesbeth Tettero, Lot Herderschêe, Maarten van Heems, Marre Raymakers, Marlou Jenneskens, Melissa Lo-Fo-Wong. Michiel Stapper, Mojdeh Feili, Myrthe Bovendeaard, Nika Derwort, Nol van Gerven, Rachel Rumai Diaz, Renee Daniels, Roopini Partiman, Sanne Jeurissen, Shula Tas, Solange Pompl, Sterre van Heemst, Susan van Ommen, Tamar van der Wouden, Tessa Hagen, Titia Hoogendoorn, Tove Hofstede, Trix Waanders, Viktorija Veljanoska, Yael Wassen, Zilla Boyer.
Special thanks to co-founders Iris Bos and Santi van den Toorn, board members from 2017 to 2021.
Policy and Finances
Vote for a Woman is recognized by the Dutch General Utility Benefit Transactions (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instellingen – ANBI). This means donations are tax-deductible. Read more about the board, finances, and remuneration policy of Vote for a Woman.
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Political Mentorship
Why is having a mentor in politics so important? Three pairs from our Mentor Network, where we connect female aspirants with politicians, share their insights on this matter.
Do you support us too?
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