Jeltje de Bosch Kemper

She grew up in a well-to-do Amsterdam family in a time when it was unusual for a woman of her class to study or work. In 1872 she founded the Tesselschade General Dutch Women’s Association (Algemeene Nederlandsche Vrouwenvereeniging Tesselschade), which fought for the financial and economic independence of women lacking financial resources. De Bosch Kemper actively went in search of new educational opportunities for women. She arranged for the sale of craft products and was behind the opening of a school of needlework art in the Rijksmuseum. She also continued to advocate for women’s rights through the feminist women’s magazine Belang en Recht , which was founded in 1896. On her 60th birthday De Bosch Kemper was honoured as a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau.