Studio owner Maartje van Wagensveld from Emmen has won the Lies van Urk Prize. This prize is awarded annually to initiatives that stimulate emancipation in the municipality of Emmen.
Van Wagensveld feels overwhelmed by the prize. “It’s bizarre, I really didn’t expect it. It’s such an honor. I’ve only been working for a year and I’ve already received such an award that means so much. Fantastic.”
A year ago, Van Wagensveld started the Atelier Artisana foundation. Accessories are made in a sustainable way in the workshop. This is done by women with a migration background who are at a distance from the labor market. “We try to give the women a step in the right direction through the work in the studio. It is participation in the broadest sense of the word,” explains the founder.
And that is exactly what this prize, according to jury member Lammers, stands for. “Moreover, it is an innovative idea. Because the women make accessories together, they can earn money and then they can help more people. Hopefully more people will start doing business in this way.”
The prize is named after Lies van Urk. In 1986 she was the first female alderman in Emmen and was active in the field of art and culture. Van Urk died suddenly in 1990 at the age of 44. In her work and in a personal capacity, she was a great advocate for emancipation.
Winners of the prize receive a trophy and a check for one thousand euros. Van Wagensveld does have an idea of what she wants to do with the money. “In our project, women are now participating under the Participation Act or the new Civic Integration Act. But there are also many women who just fall between the cracks and who also need guidance. I would like to use the money to reach those women as well and to help.”
Besides Maartje van Wagensveld, Ali Zingstra and Elke Steenhuis were nominated for the Lies van Urk Prize. Zingstra for her tireless commitment to Orange the World, the global campaign to end violence against women. Steenhuis makes food and care products available to people with a minimum income with her giveaway cabinet in Klazienaveen and uses her blog Everyblog for doing good deeds.
“We would have preferred to give all three nominees a prize, because all three set a good example and show that there are good people who do good things in the world and we should be proud of that,” says jury member Lammers. “It’s not something that only happened in my mother’s time, but fortunately it still happens today. That’s why we continue to award this award.”