"I believe in building a powerful movement to advocate for women’s rights creating sustainable impact."
What is your personal motivation for serving on the SIE Board for 2026/27?
The momentum is there to transform Soroptimist International from the inside out, and to mobilise our members with smart digital tools.
What is your vision for a better world?
I believe that real change starts with engagement. By listening. By working together. By not waiting for someone else to pick it up. I believe in building a powerful movement to advocate for women’s rights creating sustainable impact.
My aim is to:
- Mobilise our members through smart digital action.
- Hold our leaders accountable for real change.
- Inspire by increasing our visible, impactful actions
Achieving pride and growth, and be THE global force for change.
What do you do to stay motivated in your work? How do you handle challenges or disappointments?
One can only be demotivated! My compass is built on transparency, teamwork, justice and leadership that serves.
I believe in the power of meaningful conversations, humour that connects us, and courage in the face of our challenges.
What is your country doing to support and empower women?
On April 1, 2022, a special government commissioner for sexual misconduct and sexual violence was appointed. Although many policies and initiatives exist, gender equality is still a work in progress:
- Inequalities in pay and part-time labour
- To better reflect the gendered nature of issues like domestic violence in policy and support structures.
The just installed government is opting for a clearer and more decisive approach to domestic and gender-based violence so that women and girls can be safe everywhere, including cyberviolence.
Tell us about your Soroptimist club! What projects are you most proud of?
Through our 30 years of existence, we made a difference on the life of women and girls. Nowadays shifting more and more to advocating for our rights. F.e. we are increasingly engaging in discussions with the municipalities and schools to combat violence against women and girls.
I am most proud of the mosaic bench featuring the Orange the World and SIE logo. Thousands of tiles were glued together in a pattern. We accomplished this during Covid period. While gluing, the bench was prominently displayed in the window of an art gallery, and the OTW and SIE flags flew outside. Friends, family, political leaders, and former Soroptimists helped. The ✋ were glued by women from the safe houses. That was a special experience for us and for them. The press was very involved, and this significantly increased our visibility. We are pleased that Mayor was able to help ensure that the social bench has been given a prominent place in front of a unique moated castle in the Helmond-Peelland region. A lasting landmark.
