About me

‘You switched from Physics to Gender Studies??’

My background in Physics and my career start as a Management Consultant often make eyebrows raise. The knowledge that one of my early (and strong!) drivers was to prove the world my worth as a woman often softens this surprise and makes the switch to Gender Studies more understandable.  It then might come as no surprise that I am driven by the questions how in society we create minority group, and what it is like to belong to a minority group.

Remarkably enough, this interest has not been primarily inspired by my ethnic background. It was not until I was explained the formal Dutch categorization system, in one of my Sociology classes, that I realized I am formally one of the ‘allochtonen’ (foreigners). Until then, the fact that my dad and grandparents were from Indonesia did not mean more to me than my grandma’s lovely spring rolls and the typical water bottle beneath to the toilet. It still doesn’t. I suppose that something as ‘superficial’ as my Dutch name has been an important reason that I was never brought to question my belonging in the Netherlands, contrary to many others, whose ethnic backgrounds have a large impact on their belonging. I find this an intriguing observation…

I have been lucky to be able to study and work at the university. My roles as a researcher, teacher and Diversity Officer gave me ample opportunity to read, write and think about inequity, to spread my knowledge (and doubts!), and to develop frameworks and tools that actually contribute to societal changes. And to work with fantastic, inspiring and dedicated people. Now, my role at Inholland enables me to seek even more engagement and impact.  

Embracing diversity in approaches, I try to value and connect diverging views: numbers and stories, quantitative and qualitative methods, activist approaches and policy routes, text and visuals… All with the desire to learn, wonder and create.