Khadija Arib

Khadija Arib (Arabic: خديجة عريب‎, Dutch pronunciation: [xaːˈdiʒaː aːˈrip]; born 10 October 1960) is a Moroccan-Dutch politician of the Labour Party serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands since 12 December 2015. She was formally elected on 13 January 2016 but had already served as Acting Speaker since the resignation of Anouchka van Miltenburg on 12 December 2015. Arib became a member of the House of Representatives following the 1998 Dutch general election and has been reelected since, with a brief interruption between 2006 and 2007.

Khadija Arib خديجة عريب
Arib in 2017
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 January 2016 Acting: 12 December 2015 – 13 January 2016
Preceded by	Anouchka van Miltenburg
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 March 2007
In office 19 May 1998 – 30 November 2006
Personal details
Born	Khadija Arib 10 October 1960 Hedami, Morocco[1]
Nationality	Dutch Moroccan
Political party	Labour Party
Spouse(s)	Nordine Dahhan
Children	3
Residence	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (M.Sc., Sociology)
Occupation	Politician, civil servant, educator, social worker

Early life

Khadija Arib was born on 10 October 1960 in Hedami near Casablanca in Morocco.[1] She came to the Netherlands when she was 15 years old. Her parents worked at a laundry service in Schiedam.[1]

Arib studied sociology at the University of Amsterdam.[2]

Before her political career, she was a civil servant, educator and social worker.[1]

Politics

Arib is a member of the Labour Party (Partij van de Arbeid, PvdA) and an MP from 19 May 1998 to 29 November 2006 and since 1 March 2007.

In the House, she focussed on matters of racism, discrimination, abuse, domestic violence and youth care. She has been fiercely criticised (mainly by members of the Party for Freedom) for her dual citizenship and for her part in an advisory committee to the King of Morocco.[3] In 2012, she made an unsuccessful attempt to become Speaker and became First Deputy Speaker instead. She was elected Speaker in an interim election on 13 January 2016, defeating three other candidates.[4] On 29 March 2017 Arib was re-elected as Speaker, she was the only candidate for the position.[5]

Following the 2017 elections, Arib chose Edith Schippers as informateur, whose role is to explore possible governing alliances.[6] Following Schippers' resignation, Arib named Tjeenk Willink and Gerrit Zalm for the position.

Political positions

During her career, Arib has been a champion for women's rights and the empowerment of women with a migrant background in the Netherlands;[7] she was a founding member and president of the Moroccan Women in the Netherlands Foundation. In 1989, she was held prisoner in Morocco with her 3 children, after publicly addressing issues concerning the position of women in Moroccan society. After intervention by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she was allowed to return to the Netherlands.[8]

Bibliography

• 1992: Marokkaanse vrouwen in Nederland (Moroccan women in the Netherlands) with Essa Reijmers[1]
• 2009: Couscous op zondag (Couscous on Sundays)[1]
• 2011: Allah heeft ons zo gemaakt (Allah made us like this)[1]

References

1. Drs. K. (Khadija) Arib (in Dutch), Parlment & Politiek. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
2. 'Sociologie zit in mijn genen' Archived 16 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch), University of Amsterdam. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
3. Olgun, Ahmet (3 March 2007). "Arib klaagt over dubbele standaard" [Arib complains about double standard]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 January 2016.
4. "Khadija Arib elected Speaker of the House". House of Representatives. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
5. "Arib herkozen als voorzitter". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 30 March 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
6. Cynthia Kroet (March 16, 2017), Rutte in pole position as Dutch consider coalitions Politico Europe.
7. Roudaby, Youssef (14 January 2016). "Qui est Khadija Arib, la Marocaine nommée à la tête de la Chambre basse du parlement néerlandais?" [Who is Khadija Arib, Moroccan, appointed head of the lower house of the Dutch Parliament?]. The Huffington Post Marocco (in French). Retrieved 20 January 2016.
8. Blok, Simon; Houppermans, Olivier; Lange, Yasha (28 April 2010). "De partij, dat zijn zij" [The party, that is them]. De Groene Amsterdammer (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 January 2016.

External links

• Khadija Arib (in Dutch) at the House of Representatives website
• Khadija Arib (in Dutch) at the Labour Party website