Petra Brouwer (44) is certainly not the first woman in a Brabant Council of Eleven. Numerous women have already been declared Prince Carnival, but it is a first for Tilburg. Petra is the first woman in the Tilburg carnival stronghold, which usually consists of middle-aged white men. “De Heuvel exploded when I came on stage,” she reflects.
On the Eleventh of the Eleventh it is tradition in Tilburg that the Prince is announced, but first the members of the Council of Eleven are presented. “I came last on stage and when my name was called and my photo was shown, De Heuvel in the center of Tilburg exploded,” says Petra.
“I can tell my daughter that she can wear a stitch too.”
When the prince and his entourage walked through the center, Petra was approached from all sides by Kruikinnen. “They were so happy and said that they could now tell their daughter that they too could one day walk through the streets with a stitch on their head. It was an unforgettable experience. My mailbox has also been completely filled with congratulations from people who think that I I am an example for women.”
Six years ago, three female municipal councilors advocated the arrival of women in the Council of Eleven. “Despite all the emancipation in recent decades, the organization and management of the carnival has still remained a male stronghold,” they wrote in an open letter. “We also want equality during the folk festival. We owe that to our daughters, our sisters, our mothers and grandmothers.”
“Members stay for a minimum of 3 years, which meant it was a long wait for a woman.”
The statutes were amended in Tilburg and the way was cleared for the arrival of women. Petra does not think that it took long before a woman and the Council of Eleven were appointed. “You soon saw female board members and the court chapel also has a woman. The point is that five people do not leave the Council of Eleven every year. This year there were three and I am one of the three newcomers.”
The Tilburg male stronghold is still white, but there is now a white woman in the stronghold and middle age is less prevalent. “I’m not the youngest, so that age is decreasing. With starting careers and young children, it is difficult to be somewhat out of the picture for family and employer for three months. Those are the only ones who knew about my Council of Eleven adventure: my husband and my partner with whom I run a company.”