Marianne Driessen: from retiree to 'gender rebel'

Marianne Driessen of the Gender Rebels think tank on her voluntary 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 had read the book Gender Rebels (critical stories for brave girls). Together with Sybilla Claus, Marianne was part of the think tank behind the book. She also wrote a number of chapters herself, alongside contributions from such prominent names as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Jolande Withuis and Liesbeth Woertman.

Writing a book, however, was not the first thing Marianne took up after her retirement. It came about because she created some breathing space in her diary. During her working life she had gradually wound down — something she recommends to everyone. But when she had only just retired, sitting on various boards, singing in two choirs and remaining active in several other areas, she found that all these commitments were keeping her awake at night. She decided to draw a line through her crowded schedule. 'I want to be able to start the morning calmly. I have banished rush from my schedule. In German they say "Im Ruhestand gehen". That sounds rather lovely, doesn't it? But it really mustn't turn into "Unruhestand".'

How did you become involved in writing this book?

Marianne's involvement with the book began with a remark about gender-neutral lavatories. 'I said at the time: "Ugh, I find that off-putting." I took quite a bit of flak for it and began looking into it. I went "down the rabbit hole". And then I kept discovering more and more about a subject that had already been a theme for me in my earlier working and student years: male sexual misconduct, and the setting of boundaries. We taught it to the women on our self-defence courses too. It is not only about fighting back, but also about sharing women's experiences of misconduct. That theme came roaring back to life. Surely it cannot be right that women aren't allowed to say NO?'

Then Sybilla Claus came on the scene. Marianne: 'She stayed with me during an event. We talked about our careers and the themes that mattered to us. Sybilla was immediately gripped by the theme of "freedom and influence among young girls", threw herself into it and started writing. Together we kept discovering new things and meeting new people. I am attending conferences again, just as I did during my working life. When I asked Sybilla where we ought to publish it, she said: "We're publishing it ourselves." I could see that, even in retirement, she had no intention of conforming any more. Rebellious, really.' What does it bring her? Marianne explains that she is making new contacts again, learning new things and enjoying being back on the international scene. 'And I am focusing once again on the themes that I used to work on, like women's rights and gay rights.'

Sport as a subject

I asked Marianne: why sport as the theme for your own chapter? 'I have a real affinity with sport and I had heard so many stories. As an athlete myself, it spoke to me at once. I have run the Zevenheuvelenloop several times, and the fastest time is invariably 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 just laughs and says: "Of course they can't." Men are simply stronger. The people who claim otherwise are the ones who sit behind a desk and know nothing about it.'

'I have read a great deal on the subject. While I was working on it, a female darts player withdrew from the women's league because a transgender [man] was taking part. I followed it in the media that week. Extraordinary! It was presented as though the transgender person was the victim, while the woman who had once earned her place in that world and founded the women's league was being left behind. I sided with those women.'

Older women

Marianne: 'I genuinely believe in inclusion. If there is one group that is discriminated against, it is the group of older women. Germaine Greer once said, on what discrimination feels like: "Try being an old woman." That sort of remark makes my feminist heart beat faster.'

Over Marianne

Marianne Driessen describes herself as a brand-new retiree. Single, with a broad range of interests. 'I'm really a generalist,' she says. 'Learning and personal development are my hobbies. Picking up something new makes me happy every time. I started out as a teacher of biology and geography, and then studied English alongside that because I thought teaching English would be fun. After my career in teaching I moved into IT. A real man's world. After a while I joined CINOP as an educationalist. And at the age of fifty I gained a master's degree in language education and technology in Hull. My true specialism, however, lay in language and language learning. I found preventing and tackling low literacy, and the learning of a second language, the most fascinating areas of all.'

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