Contrary to popular belief, the term ‘Women Studies’ has already been in existence for at least a hundred years. Since 1898 there have been numerous sororities, mainly for social purposes. Two initiatives especially focused on female students changed this in 1910. The ‘Vereniging van Vrouwelijke Studenten te Leiden-VVSL (Society for female students in Leiden) was founded.

From this society the ‘Centraal Bureau voor Vrouwenstudie’ (central bureau for women studies) evolved.
Moreover, in Utrecht a magazine for female students was published: ‘het Utrechtsch Maandblad voor Vrouwelijke Studenten’, which was published over the course of two years.
It took seventy years before a Magazine for Women’s studies reappeared in 1980.

Source: Library Atria and Image Archive IAV