Joan Ferrier
Joan Mary Ferrier was a Dutch ortho pedagogue of Surinamese descent. From 1998 until 2012 she was director of E-Quality.
Ferrier was born as the daughter of Johan Ferrier, the first President of Suriname, and of Edmé Vas, a teacher. She was the older sister of the politician Kathleen Ferrier, and was the younger half sister of the authors Cynthia McLeod and Leo Ferrier.
Ferrier studied remedial education at the Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht and worked for the Sociaal Agogisch Centrum of the Burgerweeshuis where she eventually coordinated two shelter homes for Moroccan children. Besides, she was a teacher for transcultural pedagogue and scientific employee at the University of Amsterdam. When in 1997 four emancipation organisations for women decided to merge, Ferrier became the director of the new Instituut voor Gender en Etniciteit in 1998, that later on got renamed to E-Quality.
Starting from May 2012 she was the owner/director of her own consultancy agency.
Ferrier was member of the board of Ombudsvrouw Amsterdam, Technika 10, Young Women's Christian Association and the Nationale Commissie voor Internationale Samenwerking en Duurzame Ontwikkeling. Also she was the initiator and boardmember of Stichting Johan Ferrier Fund.
In 2011 she was knighted Order of Orange-Nassau because of her efforts for emancipation, the family and diversity.
