20 Facts About Ien Dales

Catharina Isabella "Ien" Dales was a Dutch politician and social worker.

Ien Dales became a member of the Labour Party in 1968 and was appointed State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment in the Van Agt II cabinet, a position that she held between 1981 and 1982.

Ien Dales was the Minister of the Interior in the Lubbers III cabinet from 1989 and 1994.

Ien Dales was born on 18 October 1931 in Arnhem, Netherlands.

Ien Dales's father was Teunis Dales, who owned a business selling construction supplies and her mother was Wilhelmina Bertha Holstigen.

Ien Dales was the eldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister.

When Ien Dales was ten, her father died of appendicitis and her mother had to go to work.

Ien Dales began her secondary studies at the public in Arnhem.

Ien Dales received an HBS-A diploma in 1947 and, intending to study medicine at university, an HBS-B diploma in 1950, but she was unable to afford to attend university.

Ien Dales received a scholarship to attend the Church and World Academy in Driebergen, the largest church training programme in the country, in the 1950s.

Ien Dales received a diploma in theology and preaching, and received a degree in education from the University of Amsterdam in 1975.

Ien Dales worked for the Church and World Organisation between 1956 and 1974, starting as a course teacher, before becoming the deputy head and head of the education department and director of the organisation.

Ien Dales worked as a freelance researcher between 1 January 1975 until 1 September 1977.

Ien Dales was appointed the director of social services for the municipality of Rotterdam by one of the aldermen, Elizabeth Schmitz, following the discovery of widespread fraud in the department, with the challenge of re-organising the system.

Ien Dales held this position from 1 September 1977 and 11 September 1981.

Ien Dales was elected as a member of the House of Representatives after the 1982 general election, taking office on 16 September 1982.

Ien Dales was the chair of the committee on petitions and the committee on the police.

Ien Dales held this position until 16 May 1987, the day that she took office as the mayor of Nijmegen.

Ien Dales was the second known LGBT government minister in the Netherlands.

Ien Dales was in a relationship with fellow Labour Party politician Elizabeth Schmitz.