Dutch School Empowered Thousands of Girls Through Vocational Training

Mienette Storm-van der Chijs founded the Industrieschool voor Vrouwelijke Jeugd in Amsterdam in 1865, providing girls with vocational training at a time when women were largely excluded from professional life. Storm-van der Chijs, a widow and advocate for women’s education, drew inspiration from a school in New York and partnered with the Maatschappij tot Nut van ’t Algemeen to establish the school.

Initially serving 25 students, the Industrieschool offered classes in practical skills like sewing, drawing, and weaving, alongside science lessons geared toward daily life. The school’s curriculum expanded to include training for professions previously reserved for men, such as pharmacy and early childhood education.

The Industrieschool’s success spurred the creation of similar schools across the Netherlands and attracted government funding. Students even won awards in national competitions.

The school also advocated for women's admission to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, which happened in 1872. Storm-van der Chijs lived to see many graduates find employment, and her work is considered foundational to modern gender equality in Dutch education.