Other Resources

Aletta was made part of the Canon of Dutch History in 2006. The most important parts of Aletta's life are described here: her studies as the first female student at the university, and after her promotion, she travels to London, where she comes to know progressive female doctors. She opens her own doctor's clinic on the Herengracht in Amsterdam, where she holds free consultations for women, i.e. describing them contraceptives. Stressed that Aletta is mainly known for her efforts in the female suffrage movement, joining in 1883 the Society for Women’s Suffrage (VvVK.) In 1903 she was president of the organisation. Aletta rose to international fame after organising the International Women’s Congress in The Hague in 1915. She visited American President Woodrow Wilson in 1918 to plead for an organisation for nations to uphold peace (as discussed in the Women's Congress). 

Canon van Nederland. 1854-1929. Aletta Jacobs, Standing up for equal rights. Accessed 7 February, 2023. From https://www.canonvannederland.nl/en/alettajacobs  

Aletta Henriette Jacobs - The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women  

Europeana - Pioneers Aletta Jacobs  

Drwal, M. (2021). The Feminism of Olive Schreiner and the Feminism of Aletta Jacobs: The Reception of Schreiner’s Woman and Labour in the Netherlands. Dutch Crossing, 45(1), 77-92.

Eling, P. (2008). Cerebral localization in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century: Emphasizing the work of Aletta Jacobs. Journal of the History of the Neurosciences, 17(2), 175-194.

Rietveld-van Wingerden, M., & Bakker, N. (2004). Education and the Emancipation of Jewish Girls in the Nineteenth Century: The Case of the Netherlands. History of Education Quarterly, 44(2), 202-221.

The archive of Aletta encompasses photographs, objects and documents that describe the Dutch and International Battle for female suffrage. Letters include those from and to international feminists such as Carrie Chapman Catt and Olive Schreiner. 

First Woman to attend an HBS (Higher Civic School), the first to attend university education [correction, this was, in fact, Anna Maria van Schuurman in 1636, see below], the first Dutch woman to become a doctor, and the first to be promoted in the university. She was one of the women that accomplished that women would no longer be regarded as second-class citizens. 26th of July 1870 passes the exam as a student-pharmacist. Admitted to the university, for a trial period of one year, on April 20, 1871. Aletta received much backlash, suffered from bullying, and passed her doctor's exam in 1878. Promoted as a doctor of medicine on 8 March 1879. Had her own clinic in Amsterdam, Herengracht, but also gave consults to poor women in the Jordaan region. Saw many women suffering from the burden of childbearing, and researched contraceptives, mainly the Pessarium. 1882 she wishes to be elected to the municipal council of Amsterdam, but she is denied. Since 1894, for nearly 25 years as the lead of the Dutch Society for Women's Suffrage. Aletta would marry a long-time supporter and friend Carel Victor Gerritsen. They had a free marriage but married for the law, Aletta protesting the vows that she would submit to her husband (who passed in 1905). In 1911-1912 Aletta made a journey around the world to promote women’s suffrage. Aletta died on 10 August 1929. 

Atria. Het leven en werk van Aletta Jacobs. Accessed 7 February, 2023. From https://atria.nl/nieuws-publicaties/feminisme/bekende-feministen/het-leven-en-werk-van-aletta-jacobs/

First woman to attend the University of Utrecht, perhaps even the first in Europe. She was a humanist, theologian and poet. She was ordered not to stand out, so could only sit apart from the other, behind the curtains in an alcove. Miracle of languages, 14 (Latin, also Ethiopian). Praised in and outside for her erudite qualities and intelligence. "The star of Utrecht"/ "the Dutch Minerva"/ "the ninth Muse".

Historiek. (21 September, 2022). Anna Maria van Schurman – De eerste vrouw aan de universiteit. Accessed 13 February, 2023. From https://historiek.net/anna-maria-van-schurman-vrouw-universiteit/67986/

He was born in Amersfoort on 2 February 1850 and passed in Amsterdam on 5 July 1905. Marriage with Aletta on 28 April 1892. From a Dutch reformed family but officially left the church in 1869 because he did not agree with their beliefs. He moved to London, where he was introduced to many freethinkers and neo-Malthusian, like Annie Besant. Inspired by them, but also by Dutch notables such as Multatulli, he became more convinced and interested in the emancipation of workers and women. On 2 November 1881, he started the Neo-Malthusian League, inspired by the work of Thomas Malthus and the English version of the league. The main line of belief was that to erase all social problems in society, overpopulation had to be stopped. Limiting the number of births was the key to this, promoting contraception instead of abstinence, as preached by Malthus himself. In September 1881, he was elected into the parliament of Amersfoort. He e.g. preached against the forced medical checkups of prostitutes. These checkups were not only random most times, but they also sacrificed the ‘honour of the woman’ all for the protection of the health of men. He thought this lowered the position of the lawmaker to that of protecting such men (who visit sex workers). When he formulated these protests, he was helped by Aletta (friends since 1880. Aletta and Carel had a child in September 1893 and only lived one day. When he moved to Amsterdam, he also got involved in politics there and was involved in the reform movement of the suffrage movement, also for workers and the poorer people, compulsory education and social reform. He was a radical, taking the position in between the liberals and the socialists. He was also involved in the radical league from 1892 to 1898 as president. He was the first radical in the city council of Amsterdam. 

Biografisch woordenboek van het socialisme en de arbeidersbeweging in Nederland. Gerritsen, Carel Victor. Geschreven door Carel Voerman. 21 feburari 2020 laatst gewijzigd. Geraadpleegd 18 februari, 2023. http://hdl.handle.net/10622/73F0A1FC-D995-42BD-B314-DB673D6AAD3F

Bosch, Mineke (2005). Een onwrikbaar geloof in rechtvaardigheid. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Balans.

This book, a popular scientific book on the anatomy of the woman, was made by Aletta. The [fourth] edition was specially made for women with a smaller income, as said in the introduction to the fourth edition by Aletta. It was especially this group of women that had the desire to write on the knowledge of the body in general and specifically of the build, position and working of her reproductive organs. This book is richly illustrated by expandable illustrations, like a pop-up illustrated book [like the ones for children]. As Prof. Knoeff explains, this book is the perfect example of both Aletta's efforts for women's (suffrage) rights, as well her medical practice. The book gave women from all different levels of society access to the [previous] male domain of medical sciences. Moreover, Aletta argued explicitly that there were essentially no big differences between the bodies of men and women. Differences were of form, not of function. E.g. a smaller skull does not automatically entail a smaller intelligence. She ended the idea, widely accepted at the time, that men breathed from their stomachs, and women breathed from their chests. This might be the case for the latter but can be blamed on corsets and too narrowly fitting clothes. While the male larynx is bigger than the female counterpart, this only explains partially the lower voice in males, no other indication is in place of other functionalities of this body part. The book was an anatomical case against the social inequality of men and women. However, the book was not fully renewing and revolutionary. The book comes from a long tradition of premodern anatomy books that propagate the 'one-sex model.' (Thomas Laqeur argued this). The body of the woman was seen as equal to that of a man, with the man taken as a point of reference. Although this tradition saw the woman as an unfinished/defective version of a man (vagina=inverted penis; ovaries male testicles, etc.). Aletta stepped away from the idea of the woman as a defective man. This one-sex model has long prevailed in (medical) sciences and does so to this day. Paradoxically, the idea of women as fundamentally not different from men is entirely swapped around in the present. Equality is based on the idea that men and women are completely different, sex neutrality does not exist. 

Historici.nl (24-03-2023). "‘De vrouw. Haar bouw en haar inwendige organen’ – Aletta Jacobs’ emancipatoire anatomie." By Rina Knoeff. https://www.historici.nl/de-vrouw-haar-bouw-en-haar-inwendige-organen-aletta-jacobs-emancipatoire-anatomie/?type=bijdrage. on: Jacobs, Aletta. (fourth edition 1910, ebook published on October 3, 2007) "De Vrouw. Haar bouw en haar inwendige organen." Deventer: Ae. E. Kluwer. Accessed through project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22868/22868-h/22868-h.htm