Hedy Dancona

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Dutch second wave feminist writer, Labour politician, geographer and sociologist. Her Jewish father Elias d'Ancona (24 October 1908, Den Haag- 7 February 1945, Rogoźnica, Świdnica County, Poland) had to hide when she was two. He was captured by the Nazi's and succumbed of pulmonary disease during the last death march before the liberation of Auschwitz camp by Russian troops. Her poor mother Maaike Opmeer (12 April 1916, Rotterdam - 4 May 1981, Voorburg) had to raise her small children on her own. But being born with poverty inspired d'Ancona for her passionate commitment to the public good. The first fifteen years of her life, had conditioned her, she said to Holocaust survivor Ischa Meijer (1943-1995): "Als je je hecht ga je stuk" (If you attach, you get stuck). She got therapy for her fear of abandonment from the Jewish writer and psychiatrist Hans Keilson (12 December 1909, Bad Freienwalde – 31 May 2011, Hilversum), who erected "Ezrat Ha Jeled" for the Jewish orphans. She studied social geography in Amsterdam. From 1962 till 1965 she was a TV-producer for the socialist VARA broadcasting company. With Joke Kool-Smit, she founded the female emancipation lobbying group Man-Vrouw-Maatschappij {MVM} in 1968. In 1972 she erected with Wim Hora Adema (1914-1998) the radical feminist monthly "Opzij" (out of the way! 1968). From 1972 till 1981 she was editor in chief. She served in the first chamber of the Dutch parliament (1974-1981), for the Dutch Labour Party PvdA. She was State Secretary for Emancipation in the short lived cabinet Van Agt II. From 1989 to 1994 she was the Minister of Health, Welfare and Culture under Lubbers III. She was responsible for immigration and refuge policies and often clashed with Minister of Justice Aad Kosto. She acted as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment for issues concerning women's liberation. She also served in the European Parliament from 1984 till 1989 and from 1994 until 1999. From April 1995 through June 2004, d'Ancona was Chairwoman of Oxfam Novib (Oxfam Netherlands), serving also as Vice-Chairman of Oxfam International during part of her tenure. November 2003, she published her autobiography "Het persoonlijke is politiek" (The private is political), referring to the slogan of the student movement and second-wave feminism from the late 1960s. Personal She initially married the psychiatrist Guus de Boer, and got two children: her son Hajo en her daughter Hadassah de Boer(30 March 1971). After a free marriage, they divorced in 1977. In the seventies she dated with the Jewish ex-major of Amsterdam Ed van Thijn (6 Augustus 1934, Amsterdam). She also had a passionate relationship with the television director and presenter Berend Boudewijn (23 June 1936, De Bilt). Since 1997, the eternal puer painter Aat Veldhoen (1 November 1934, Amsterdam) is her partner. She fell for his twinkling eyes and he fell for her breasts. Link to Wikipedia