<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elske in the Telegraaf: \u2019It’s mostly women holding women back\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who are currently slowing down the advancement of\nwomen’s rights the most? Women. Business woman Elske Doets arrives at this\nconclusion in this interview that was printed on 2019 International Women’s Day\nin Dutch newspaper de Telegraaf. \u201cCool women who get ahead in the world,\ndeserve applause. But what do they get? Stupid sermons on being-in-balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Must we really still talk about the fight for\nwomen’s rights? Haven’t we conquered our rightful place in the economy and\nsociety a long time ago? Lately, when giving a talk on the stifling morale\nDutch women have to deal with, the aversion towards their ambitions and the\nabsurd emphasis on being-in-balance, I have noticed irritation brewing in the\naudience. The most i’ll get is that they afterwards recognize that we maybe\n‘are not completely there yet’. But we have equal rights? And in politics we\nsee women climbing to for example a post as minister? And that it is an\nachievement that thanks to part time jobs we have time to take care of ailing\nloved ones, right? So why am I going on about it? In short, who seem to be the\nmost fed up with the whole topic of women’s rights? Women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don’t understand that resignation. Lets start\nwith the fact that only forty percent of Dutch women is financially\nindependent. That percentage is ridiculously small, right? Just think about it:\nfor six out of ten woman it is not a given that they can survive financially\nwhen their relationship ends. That the emancipation and position of women is\nnot a priority anymore, could spring from luxury: when you hit financial\ntrouble, the government can help you. You only have to apply for an allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAllright,\u201d I get a lot, \u201cthings can always move\nalong faster. But isn’t it nice that government and business are working on\nmore diversity, which is good for women?\u201d Sorry but it isn’t. I think it is\nawful. How humiliating and telling is it that in 2019 Dutch leaders are\nstarting up a cycle of meetings to get more women to top positions? The\nembarrassing conclusion: women still need to be helped. How gender role\nconfirming is that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On top of that, almost daily I see the women who\nare in leading positions and are presented as success stories, behind the\nscreens wrestle with insecurity, doubts and care tasks at home. While men\nwithout a care or worry in the world go for their career goals. Where is the\nequality in that? What do you mean the fight for women’s rights is passe?\nAbsolutely not. Al those female ministers cannot hide the fact that only 34\npercent of jobs in politics is occupied by women. Wake up! There is still a\nworld to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does it say about the world if in a\nprosperous country like The Netherlands women’s rights are at this level? That\nthis planet urgently needs women who stick out their neck. Push boundaries. Get\nout of their comfort zone. And thus be a role model for millions of young girls\nto not stay safely in the shades with some smalltime job, but have the guts to\ngo be in the limelight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though she is not in my camp politically, I\nsay the rising start of the left wing Democrats, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a\ngreat role model. More of that, please, more, more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because #heroines is one of the themes of\nInternational Women’s Day 2019, I’d like to nominate all women who don’t let\nother women stand in the way of their need for adventure. Let’s please defeat\nour biggest enemy \u2013 ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elske Doets<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Travel entrepreneur
Business Woman of the Year 2017
Founder of the Young Lady Business Academy<\/p>\n\n\n\n