Balancing the scales: a century of change for women

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2026, Euronext highlights the perspective of Dutch writer and researcher Suzanna Jansen, author of the book De Omwenteling - De eeuw van de Vrouw (English translation: The Transformation - The Century of the Woman). Through historical research and personal storytelling, she traces how legal reforms over the past century gradually reshaped women’s roles in society. 

In the video below, she reflects on the legislative turning points that transformed women’s lives in 1922. From the moment Dutch women gained the right to vote in the early twentieth century to the gradual dismantling of laws restricting married women’s legal and economic independence, these changes reveal how rights expanded step by step. Yet as Suzanna Jansen notes, while laws can open doors, shifts in mentality often take longer to follow. 

Her message resonates with Euronext’s theme of “Balancing the scales” for this year’s International Women’s Day: progress has been real, but it has rarely been automatic. Each advance has required persistence, advocacy and the courage to challenge long-standing norms. 

Suzanna Jansen's historical lens on women’s economic and social position is both sobering and hopeful. Looking back over a century of change offers both perspective and responsibility. The rights and opportunities that exist today were built slowly and remain worth protecting and advancing for the generations to come. 

Watch the full video with Suzanna Jansen below.