Willemijn Posthumus-van der Goot

Willemijn Posthumus-van der Goot was a Dutch economist, feminist and radio broadcaster. As the first woman to attain a doctorate in economics in the Netherlands, her work focused on the impact of working women on the economy. Recognizing that there were few sources, she joined with other feminists to create the International Archives for the Women's Movement in 1935. Writing reports on women's work, she refuted government claims that women working outside the home was of no benefit. First proposed in 1939, the Household Council, which she saw as an organization to foster training and organize domestic laborers was instituted in 1950. She founded the International Association of Women in Radio, as an organization for professional development and networking in 1949. As a peace activist, she was involved in the promotion of pacifism and believing women had unique qualities for solving world problems, she established the International Scientific Institute for Feminine Interpretation. In 1982, in recognition of her significant contributions to the Dutch Women's Movement, Posthumus-van der Goot was appointed as an officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. In 2008, she, her husband and sister, were honored as Righteous Among the Nations by the government of Israel, for their fostering children during the Dutch occupation by the Nazis.