Born: 1847 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Died: 1925 (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Biography:
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 E. Prezcier.
Life:
Drucker was born in Amsterdam on September 30, 1847, to Constantia Christina Lensing, a seamstress, and Louis Drucker, a German-Jewish banker. However, her father refused to marry her mother or legally recognize their children, thereby subjecting Wilhelmina to difficult circumstances during her upbringing.
Despite the challenges she faced, Drucker received a Catholic education and followed in her mother’s footsteps, taking up the same profession. In 1886, she began attending meetings of various social and political organizations, such as the Sociaal-Democratische Bond, the De Unie union, the Nederlandsche Bond voor Algemeen Kies- en Stemrecht (Dutch League for General Suffrage), and the freethinkers’ association De Dageraad. It was during these years that socialism had a significant impact on her, shaping her views and inspiring her future activism.
In her book, published under a pseudonym, Drucker criticized the double standards of her father’s morality, particularly his refusal to acknowledge children born to him by a wealthier woman. Additionally, she embarked on a lawsuit against her half-brother, politician Hendrik Lodewijk Drucker, over their father’s inheritance. In 1888, she emerged victorious, gaining financial independence.
Following her legal victory, Drucker co-founded the weekly magazine De Vrouw (The Woman) with like-minded women from radical and socialist circles. This publication aimed to empower and educate women and girls. In 1889, she went on to establish the Vrije Vrouwen Vereeniging (VVV), which later developed into the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht (Women’s Rights Association) in 1894.
Drucker’s passion for women’s rights extended beyond national boundaries. In 1891, she represented the VVV at the International Socialist Labor Congress in Brussels, where she joined delegates from Germany, Austria, and Italy in advocating for a resolution that called for full legal and political equality between men and women. This resolution was successfully adopted by the congress, marking a significant milestone in the global fight for women’s rights.
In 1893, Drucker and her close collaborator, Dora Schook-Haver, founded Evolutie (Evolution), a weekly magazine that continued publication until 1926. Throughout this time, Drucker also embarked on lecture tours across the Netherlands, actively participated in the establishment of several women’s trade unions, and in 1897 became a member of the Vereeniging Onderlinge Vrouwenbescherming (VOV, or Women’s Mutual Protection Society). The VOV focused on advocating for the rights of unmarried mothers and their children and aimed to unite all women, regardless of their marital status or parental status, under a militant organization.
Drucker’s tireless efforts and dedication to women’s rights played a significant role in advancing gender equality in the Netherlands and beyond. Her work as a politician, writer, and activist continues to inspire generations of feminists to this day.