Geertje Lycklama à Nijeholt

Geertje Lycklama à Nijeholt (2 April 1938 – 18 November 2014) was a Dutch politician and women and development studies scholar. She served as a member of the Senate of the Netherlands between 1995 and 2003 for the Labour Party. She was group leader in the Senate between 1999 and 2003. As a scientist she spend 16 years at the International Institute of Social Studies, of which five as rector.

Career Lycklama à Nijeholt was born on 2 April 1938 in Lollum, a rural village in Friesland, as member of the prominent family. Her father was an agrarian and municipal council member of Wûnseradiel. She received her primary education in Lollum and later went to school in Bolsward and Sneek. In 1956 she went to Amsterdam to study Western sociology at the VU University Amsterdam, earning her degree in 1963.

In 1962 she travelled to India and Pakistan to study Islam and the respective history of the countries. In October 1970, she took up a position as research assistant at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, United States. One year later she was promoted to project director. Between 1973 and 1976 she worked on her thesis titled Migratory and Nonmigratory Farm Workers on the East Coast of the United States at both Cornell University as the VU University. She earned the title of doctor in 1976 at the VU University.