Van der Waal wins Hypatiaprijs with Baas in eigen buik
The philosopher and midwife receives the biennial prize for her essay on reproductive justice.
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Rodante van der Waal has won the 2026 Hypatiaprijs with Baas in eigen buik. The jury honoured the book during a gathering at literary theatre Perdu in Amsterdam on Saturday.
The Hypatiaprijs is awarded every two years to a stimulating and topical philosophy book by a female or non-binary thinker. The 2026 edition had five nominees. Alongside Van der Waal, Lieke Asma, Suzanne Biewinga, Kristien Hens and Wytske Versteeg were shortlisted.
Baas in eigen buik was published by Nijgh & Van Ditmar in 2025. According to the publisher, Van der Waal examines reproductive justice in it: an approach that connects self-determination with the social circumstances in which people become pregnant, give birth and receive care.
Van der Waal is a philosopher and midwife. That combination is also an important part of the jury’s appreciation, as shown by a laudatio shared by jury chair Jenny Slatman. It describes the book as a combination of philosophical analysis, medical knowledge and practical experience.
The prize makes the debate on pregnancy, maternity care and abortion more visible within Dutch-language philosophy. According to the publisher, the winning essay asks not only who decides about a pregnancy, but also what social support is needed to make that choice genuinely possible.
The Hypatiaprijs is named after the late-antique philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Hypatia. The organisation Society for Women in Philosophy Nederland en Vlaanderen uses the prize to give female and other marginalised voices in philosophy a platform. The award is therefore both a literary distinction and a signal about which themes and perspectives receive attention in the field.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Van der Waal won the 2026 Hypatiaprijs.
- According to the publisher, the book is about reproductive justice.
- The prize focuses on philosophy books by female or non-binary thinkers.
- The subject touches on abortion, maternity care and self-determination.
Left
Arguments Reproductive freedom requires not only a formal right, but also accessible care, financial support and protection against inequality.
Values Equality, solidarity and control over one’s own body.
Consequences A broader conception of care can lower barriers, but requires more public resources and institutional changes.
Centre
Arguments Self-determination and social support should be considered together, allowing room for different philosophical outlooks and professional care.
Values Autonomy, pluralism and feasibility.
Consequences Compromises can increase support, but may also lead to less clear-cut choices about rights and funding.
Right
Arguments The emphasis should be on individual responsibility, protection of unborn life and restraint by the state in moral matters.
Values Personal responsibility, community norms and protection of vulnerable life.
Consequences A more restrained policy can limit public interference, but may make access to care and freedom of choice more unequal.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The prize winner, award ceremony and shortlist have been confirmed by event and jury sources. The interpretation of the content is limited to what the publisher and jury say about the book.
- confirmed Rodante van der Waal won the 2026 Hypatiaprijs. — The jury chair names her as the winner; the award ceremony took place on 10 October. source
- confirmed Baas in eigen buik is an essay about reproductive justice. — This is stated on the publisher’s page. source
- confirmed The shortlist contained five books. — The event page names five nominees. source
- confirmed The Hypatiaprijs is awarded every two years. — This is stated in the prize description. source
Editor's note
The award has been confirmed by the jury chair and the event page. The description of the content is based on the publisher; we have not assessed literary quality.Sources
- Hypatiaprijs 2026 — Week van het Nederlands
- Laudatio bij de Hypatiaprijs 2026 — Joke J. Hermsen via LinkedIn
- Baas in eigen buik — Nijgh & Van Ditmar
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „rodante van der waal”
- Trouw — „rodante van der waal”
- NRC — „rodante van der waal”