Dutch Party Doubles Women Candidates in Historic Shift

A Dutch political party once known for keeping women out of politics is making history by putting more of them on the ballot than ever before.

The SGP, a fundamentalist Protestant party in the Netherlands, has named 46 women as candidates for local elections in March. That's double the number from just four years ago, a remarkable shift for a party that fought to keep women off ballots entirely.

The change didn't come easily. The SGP was forced to lift its ban on women candidates in 2013 after losing a case at the European Court of Human Rights. For decades, the party believed women should focus on domestic duties rather than political life, based on their interpretation of Biblical teaching.

Now women are running for the SGP in nine municipalities for the first time, including major cities like Rotterdam. In Vlissingen, women make up more than half the candidate list, with eight of 15 spots filled by female candidates.

Among them is Lilian Janse, who last year tried to change party rules so women could stand for national parliament. Though she didn't succeed then, her presence on the Vlissingen list signals the party's ongoing transformation.

The Ripple Effect: The growing number of women candidates shows how legal pressure can spark lasting cultural change. What started as a court-ordered requirement is gradually becoming normalized within the party. Young women in conservative communities now see political participation as a real option, not a forbidden path.

The SGP operates mainly in the Netherlands' Bible Belt, a region that runs from Zeeland up to Urk in Flevoland. The party is fielding candidates in 101 of the country's 340 municipalities this election cycle.

The doubling of women candidates doesn't mean the party has abandoned its traditional views, but it does show that even the most resistant organizations can evolve when pushed. Each woman who steps forward makes it easier for the next one to follow.

For communities that once saw women in politics as impossible, these 46 candidates represent a door opening wider with each election.