Category: Minorities Matter

The idea of Netwerkpro came to me when I stood in the schoolyard. I looked around and saw so many women who had everything to offer in terms of quality and expertise. But they made so little use of it. I founded Vrouwen aan de Amstel. In this network, participants seek each other, to inspire each other and increase each other's visibility. When I heard during a meeting that a daughter of one of the participants was unemployed at home and that no one knew a suitable job for her, the idea of Netwerkpro was born. The Netwerkpro programs are about increasing Dutch labour market opportunities for refugee women. The last years, Netwerkpro has supported almost 550 women from various target groups through training plus voluntary or paid work. Recently, the Dutch Social Economic Council has put Netwerkpro forward as an example of a ‘best practice’. Arine Huijboom