The Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (Association for Women's Suffrage) was a women's rights organization active in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

from 1894 to 1919. It was devoted to

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. It was the main

movement in the Netherlands. The Vereeniging changed its name in 1919 and would fuse with another association in 1930 and again in 1949 and still exists today. The Vereeniging had an audience with the Dutch

Queen Wilhelmina Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands The monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the ...

and wrote letters to members of the Dutch parliament. In 1907 some members of the Vereeniging founded their own association, the Nederlandsche Bond voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (Dutch League for Women's Suffrage), which was more moderate. This was partly done out of disapproval for the more extreme measures English

suffragettes A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

used – measures that were not used by the Vereeniging but were not condemned by them either. The two associations would fuse together again in 1930. After women's suffrage was achieved in 1919, the Vereeniging changed its name to the Vereniging van Staatsburgeressen (Association of Citizenesses) and kept striving for women to be independent, although the woman's role within the family was still important for the association. The Vereeniging also wrote to organisations to ask for women in high functions. In 1930 the association fused with the Nederlandsche Unie voor Vrouwenbelangen (Dutch Union for Women's Interests) and became the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vrouwenbelangen en Gelijk Staatsburgerschap (Dutch Association for Women's Interests and Equal Citizenship) and in 1949 it fused with the Nationale Vereniging voor Vrouwenarbeid (National Association for Women's Labour) and became the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vrouwenbelangen, Vrouwenarbeid en Gelijk Staatsburgerschap (Dutch Association for Women's Interests, Women's Labour and Equal Citizenship). This fusion still exists today. The association published a monthly magazine called ''Maandblad van de Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht'', after 1919 called ''Maandblad van de Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Staatsburgeressen'' and after 1930 called ''Maandblad van de Nederlandsche Vereeniging voor Vrouwenbelangen en Gelijk Staatsburgerschap''.

Chairmembers

The association had a head management consisting of 9, 11 or 13 members and a daily management consisting of a president, vice president, secretary and a treasurer, who met in person seldom, but usually conversed in writing. Men were allowed in the head management, but not in the daily management. Two presidents of the Vereeniging were: * 1894–1902:

Annette Versluys-Poelman Anette Wiea Luka Poelman, (8 June 1853, Holwierde - 10 February 1914, Amsterdam) was a Dutch suffragist and philanthropist. She co-founded the first Woman Suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning i ...

* 1903–1919:

Aletta Jacobs Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs (; 9 February 1854 – 10 August 1929) was a Dutch physician and women's suffrage activist. As the first woman officially to attend a Dutch university, she became one of the first female physicians in the Netherlands. I ...

Other board members were, amongst others,

Wilhelmina Drucker Wilhelmina Drucker (née ''Wilhelmina Elizabeth Lensing''; Amsterdam, 30 September 1847 – Amsterdam, 5 December 1925) was a Dutch politician and writer. One of the first Dutch feminists, she was also known under her pseudonyms Gipsy, Gitano, and ...

and Mien van Itallie-van Embden.

References

* Bonnie G. Smith: ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History'': 4 Volume Set
Google Books

Website Huygens institute
* http://vrouwenbelangen.nl {{Suffrage Feminist organisations in the Netherlands Women's rights organizations 1894 establishments in the Netherlands Feminism and history Voter rights and suffrage organizations Women's suffrage in the Netherlands

Chairmembers

See also

References