In 1924, the Lower House in the Netherlands still used pre-printed envelopes addressed to ‘Den Heere’ (‘Mr’), as shown in the picture above.
However, as of 1918 there had been women in the Chambre as well.

Dr. E.C. (Lizzy) van Dorp, LL M (1872-1945) was chosen for the liberal party Lijst Van Houten at the first parliamentary elections where women could vote, in 1922. Van Dorp started her period as a Member of Parliament with the publication ‘Het bankroet der tegenwoordigen socialen politiek’ (the bankruptcy of current social politics). She prepared a bill aimed at changing the voting system and voted against the navy law in 1923.

Interesting correspondence with J.B. of Heutz about colonial legislation and about the dismissal of married female civil servants are among the contents of her archive. In that same period she was also president of the governing board of the Liberale Staatspartij (liberal state party).

When the government fell in 1925, Lizzy van Dorp left the party in protest against the protectionist course in which they were steering. After her short break, during which she worked for the Nationale Unie (National Union), she again placed herself on the list for the parliamentary elections for the Liberale Staatspartij. This effort went without success. A second attempt in 1933 also failed. From 1930 till 1936, she was still active within the party executive committee. Afterwards she left politics.

Source: Archive E.C. van Dorp inv.nr 1121

• Archive E.C. van Dorp