Marianne Driessen: from retiree to 'gender rebel'

Marianne Driessen of the Gender Rebels think tank interviewed about her volunteer work. Interview by Miranda de Vries in the online magazine Pensioen in Zicht.

by Miranda de Vries

I asked Marianne for an interview after I read the book Gender Rebels (critical stories for brave girls). Together with Sybilla Claus, Marianne was part of the think tank of the book. She wrote a number of chapters herself. Alongside contributions from other prominent names such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Jolanda Withuis, and Liesbeth Woertman.

But writing a book was not the first thing Marianne took up after her retirement. That came about because she created space in her schedule. During her working life, she gradually wound down, and she recommends that to everyone. But when she had just retired and held various board positions, sang in two choirs, and was still active in other areas, she discovered that all these activities were keeping her awake at night. She decided to draw a line through her busy schedule. "I want to be able to start the morning calmly. I have banished rushing from my schedule. In German, it is called: "Im Ruhestand gehen". That sounds nice, doesn't it? But that shouldn't turn into an 'unrest'."

How did you get involved in writing this book?

Marianne's involvement with the book began with a comment about gender-neutral toilets. "I said at the time: 'Ugh, I think that's gross.' I received quite a bit of criticism and started delving into it. I went 'down the rabbit hole.' And then I discovered more and more about a subject that was also a theme for me during my earlier years of work and study: Male sexual misconduct and setting boundaries. We taught that to the participants in our self-defence courses as well. It's not just about fighting back, but also about sharing women's experiences with misconduct. That theme came completely back to life. Surely it can't be right that women aren't allowed to say NO?"

Then Sybilla Claus came into the picture. Marianne: "She stayed with me during an event. We talked about our careers and themes that moved us. Sybilla was immediately captivated by the theme: 'freedom and influence among young girls', dove into it and started writing. Together, we also discovered new things and met new people. I am going to conferences again, just like during my working life. When I asked Sybilla where we should publish it, she said: 'We are self-publishing.' I saw that, even in her retirement, she no longer wanted to conform to anything. Rebellious, actually." What does it bring her? Marianne explains that she is making new contacts again, learning new things, and enjoying being back in the international scene. "And I am focusing again on my former themes such as women's and gay rights."

Sport as a topic

I ask Marianne: Why sport as the theme for your own chapter? "I have an affinity for sport and I heard so many stories. As an athlete, it touched me immediately. I have run the Zevenheuvelenloop several times, and the fastest time is actually set by a man. A friend's son is a snowboard instructor, and when I ask him: 'Can women do the same as men?' he laughs and says: 'No, of course not.' Men are simply stronger. People who claim the opposite are people who sit behind their desks and don't know anything about it."

I have read a lot about it. While I was working on it, a female darts player withdrew from the women's league because a transgender (man) was participating. I followed it in the media that week. Unprecedented! It was portrayed as if the transgender person was the victim. Whereas the woman who once earned her place in that world and founded the women's league is being left behind. I supported those women."

Older women

Marianne: "I truly stand for inclusion. If there is any group that is discriminated against, it is the group of older women. Germaine Greer once said about how discrimination feels: 'Try to be an old woman.' Things like that make my feminist heart beat faster."

Over Marianne

Marianne Driessen describes herself as a brand-new retiree. Single with a wide range of interests. "I am actually a generalist," she says. "Learning and personal development are my hobbies. Learning new things makes me happy every time. I started out as a biology and geography teacher, then I studied English alongside it because I thought it would be fun to teach English too. After my teaching career, I went into IT. A real man's world. After some time, I went to CINOP as an educationalist. And at the age of fifty, I obtained a master's degree in language education and technology in Hull. My ultimate specialisation, however, lay in language and language learning. I found preventing and combatting low literacy and learning a second language the most fascinating."

https://www.stavoor.nl/pensioeninzicht/marianne-driessen-van-pensionado-naar-gender-rebel/?ref=genderrebels.org