The Netherlands Make History As New Dutch Government To Have Record Number Of Women
It’s nice to see progress in some countries, even if ours tends to lag a bit behind. I mean, the bitter tone is justified. Just this morning, I read about how on a 31-member panel that is deciding the fate of women’s legal marriageable age, there was only one woman minister. Fat lot of good that will do! Luckily, there are some countries that recognise not just how female leaders have been successfully leading their countries during these testing times, but also that women need to have an equal voice in decision-making at the governance level. The Netherlands is all set to have a new government, and this Dutch government will have a record number of women appointed in positions of power. The elections were held in March, and a four-party coalition formed in December. On January 10, 2022, Prime Minister Mark Rutte will begin a fourth term in office.
On Sunday, the coalition published a list of ministers and secretaries of state that were named to key portfolios, and 14 of the 29 ministers and secretaries of state will be women. This includes 10 of the 20 ministers. Isn’t that great?
One of the key ministries that have been handed to a woman minister is finance. Sigrid Kaag has been named the first Dutch female finance minister. With her appointment, the total number of female finance ministers in the European Union goes to five. Previously, she was the foreign minister.
Also Read: Women Leaders Are More Empathetic, Open To Newer Ideas And Don’t Care For Gender Norms. The Future Is Female
In a sort of exchange of portfolios, the former finance minister Wopke Hoekstra has been appointed as the foreign minister. Kajsa Ollongren has been chosen as the defence minister. Ernst Kuipers has been appointed as the health minister.
Well, good for you, Netherlands.
Personally, I think the lack of female leadership in policy framework on a global level is what has led to most of the issues, particularly the climate change denial and inaction. We need more women running countries and perhaps, the change will come.
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