Aletta Jacobs Prize awarded to Lilianne Ploumen

On Thursday 8 March the 15th Aletta Jacobs Prize was awarded to Lilianne Ploumen. During a festive ceremony in the Aula of the Academy Building Ploumen received the certificate from Rector Magnificus Elmer Sterken. The prize includes a sum of € 5000.

The jury praised Ploumen’s commitment to women’s and girls’ rights worldwide, and her successful endeavours in that field. Ploumen hopes that her initiative ‘She Decides’ will contribute to helping millions of women in developing countries to decide for themselves whether and with whom they want children, and how many.

During the award ceremony lectures were held by Prof. Jelle Stekelenburg, Professor of International Aspects of Reproductive Health, on ‘The right to safe motherhood’ and by Faustina Fynn-Nyame, Director of the Women’s Health Project at Population Services International. Her lecture’s title was ‘Choice’.

There was a musical intermezzo by vocalist Nynke Laverman, accompanied by Sytze Pruiksma on piano.