Pop-up Exposition and Conversation Piece – The Circle redrawn, Women at Work

From 7 until 22 May 2025, a temporary exhibition can be seen in the University Library at the Drift, The Circle redrawn, Women at Work.

This exposition is organised by an interdisciplinary group of researchers (among whom Dr Sara Carmichael, substitute Board Member of the N.W. Posthumus Institute and Sophie Vries MA, participant of the 2024 cohort of the Posthumus PhD Training Programme), all with a passion for researching the theme ‘Women, Work, and Well-being’, approached from various scientific disciplines that they work in; . The idea for this Pop-up Exposition and Conversation Piece, is to bring attention to the still ongoing gender inequality at work in an original and engaging way.

The exposition brings together (historical) visual material, current research findings and personal quotes. It shows how gender, work, and well-being are closely linked and how this relationship is influenced not only by government policies, such as parental leave or childcare, but also by everyday social norms and expectations about gender roles. The central focus is on the challenges women face balancing work and well-being in today’s Dutch society. The Pop-up exposition also shows how many of these challenges, such as the division of care work, are rooted in historical developments and cultural norms. Themes such as hormonal dynamics, a structural blind spot in workplace contexts, and the mental load of both paid and unpaid work are made tangible through thought-provoking panels.

This pop-up exposition is made possible by the sector plan “Welfare, Participation and Citizenship in the digital World.” Researchers and lecturers from four faculties at Utrecht University collaborate to expand these important themes in research, education and in dialogue between academia and practice. The exposition can be viewed during the opening hours of the Utrecht University Library City Centre.