Symposium Equal Ground: Women's Rights in Health, Work, and Science

On Thursday 5 March 2026, ZonMw Young, KB National Library, JongNWO, ERG Women+ NWO/NWO-I, Vilans, Rathenau Institute, UNL, and KNAW are jointly organising an inspiring afternoon on women's (in)equality in society and research.

Date, time and location

• Thursday 5 March 2026
• Time: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., followed by drinks.
• Location: KB National Library (Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5, The Hague).

Working langugage: Dutch

Please note! The working language of the symposium is Dutch.

Program

After an introduction to the organisations, we will start with a keynote speech by Prof. Nadine Akkerman of Leiden University on the historical context of the role of women in Dutch society. This will be followed by two rounds of four interactive workshops in which you can participate (you can choose on the spot, with a limit per organization from which you participate). Afterwards, we will conclude with drinks, where we can get to know each other better and share knowledge and experiences about equal opportunities and rights within our organizations.

• 1:00 p.m. Arrival
• 1:15 p.m. Start of program
• 1:45 p.m. Keynote speech by Nadine Akkerman (UL)
• 2:15 p.m. Short introduction to workshops: pitches per workshop
• 2:30 p.m. First round of workshops
• 3:50 p.m. Second round of workshops
• 4:45 p.m. Joint conclusion
• 5:00 p.m. Drinks

The four workshops

• Workshop 1. Discrepancy in data and research
  Science has traditionally been ‘blind’ to the needs of women. How did this come about, what is the status quo, and how can we fill the data gaps with data on underrepresented and intersectional groups? The Rathenau Institute will introduce the reports FemTech and the Health Gap and Balance of Science, and we will discuss in small groups how we can move the policy and research sector towards a more ideal situation.
• Workshop 2. Women's Health
  Is someone going to the doctor? Immerse yourself in the inequalities within the healthcare system. Discover for yourself the barriers in our healthcare system for both men and women from an intersectional perspective (“less than 7 check marks”).
• Workshop 3. Social Safety in the Workplace
  During this workshop, we will enter the ‘workplace’ in a safe setting to discuss manners within our organizations. Under the professional guidance of the organisation GelijkSpel, there will be room to recognize patterns and discuss how we want to interact with each other at work.
• Workshop 4. History of Women's Emancipation in the Netherlands
  In this workshop, Channa Hoogervorst, cultural history collection specialist at the National Library (KB), takes you through the fascinating history of women's emancipation in the Netherlands. Using many examples from the KB's collection, it becomes clear how major changes only really take shape when they are discussed at the kitchen table. This gives you an inspiring insight into the power of the media in the development of Dutch women.

For whom

The symposium is intended for internal employees of the participating parties. There is room for a maximum of 15 participants per organisation. Because NWO/NWO-I is participating through the ERG Women+ NWO/NWO-I and JongNWO, there are a total of 30 places available for colleagues from NWO/NWO-I. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration

You can registrer by sending an email to Jesse Mesman via j.mesman@nwo.nl. 

We hope to see you there!