Media release:
Netherlands visitor addresses RAUW
15 March 2007
 Ms
Gerda Leushuis, a longstanding member of VVAO, the Dutch Association of
University Women, addressed the Council of the Rwanda Association of University
Women during a recent visit to Rwanda.
She said that VVAO was established in 1918 during the first feminist
wave, fighting for the equal rights of men and women, and described VVAO’s
current work and support for women in the Netherlands.
VVAO now has 4.500 members with 32 regional branches around the country
and is the second biggest association in the International Federation
of University Women after Canada, which has 10.000 members. VVAO. It is
also a member of University Women of Europe.
Ms Leushuis talked about how important it is for tertiary-educated women
in both the Netherlands and Rwanda to be visible in their workplaces and
communities. She said that sometimes it is necessary for them to interrupt
at meetings to put forward their opinions and to make themselves heard.
“Prepare your speech well and speak clearly,” she said. “Concentrate
on your manner of speaking so that you use different tones in your voice
and appropriate hand gestures. Stand upright when speaking and maintain
eye contact with your audience”.
She suggested that to avoid being invisible, women should wear bright
colours, like a red dress or jacket or a remarkable necklace or a beautiful
scarf, so that they were noticed.
Ms Leushuis invited RAUW to consider a partnership arrangement with VVAO
where the two organisations could work on some project together. VVAO
has organised International Exchanges to Finland, Montpellier France,
Canada and Wisconsin US, and is interested to make an exchange visit to
Rwanda.
President Ambassador Joy Mukanyange indicated her enthusiasm for this
idea, which could be fostered by a special interest group or by RAUW’s
International committee under the coordination of its convener, Violet
Kabarenzi.
Ms Leushuis said that during the past century the position of women in
the Netherlands has improved considerably, however, too few women choose
a technical profession. Women are underrepresented in top jobs and often
work part time, which influences in a negative way their pension-rights.
Caring tasks within the family are often not shared by husband and wife.
Those are reasons why VVAO goes on struggling for women’s emancipation.
Now in 2006 the compulsory schooling age in the Netherlands is from 4
to 16 years and officially there is no illiteracy. Many girls and women
are highly educated and have many more chances in the labour market than
they had before. Women receive more and better support through maternity
leave and childcare in order to continue their jobs once they have children.
After a baby is born, young fathers have the right to paternity leave
as well. However, the chances for men and women are still not equal. Combining
a full-time job and taking care of family and children is a still a huge
problem for women.
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