Free choice is free of gender | Ingrid van Engelshoven | TEDxAmsterdamWomen

Ingrid reminds us that we still have a big gap to bridge in representations of what it means to be male or female. This affects the way we raise our children and the future they envision for themselves, based on what is perceived as normal. Did you know that men are quoted in the media as experts 88% of the time and women only 12%? Or that mainstream media very rarely depict women in professional settings? Not to mention children’s toys that tell us girls are caring and that boys are adventurous. This has a lasting effect on how we view the division of labour. During her studies; Public Administration and Public Policy and Dutch Law, van Engelshoven was already into politics and has been a member of D66 ever since. Her childhood in Belgium made her aware of the consequences of being a 'foreigner', but it also gave her the opportunity to look at the country with a perspective of an outsider. She has worked on topics such as equal opportunities in the Dutch education system and the improvement of women’s economic independence. In 2015, she won the Els Borst Network Inspiration Award in honour of her years of work for D66. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx