Feminist March 2025: let's take to the streets for gender justice
Women's rights are under pressure worldwide, and hard-fought rights and freedoms are being dismantled. Whereas until recently the Netherlands was a champion of emancipation, women's rights and gender justice, the current cabinet is breaking with this policy and abandoning millions of women and girls. That is why Both ENDS, together with many other allies, will be taking to the streets on 8 March. It is time to make a strong stand against the dismantling of gender policy and to stand up for gender equality and social justice.
The cabinet's policy letter on international cooperation was clear: from now on, the Netherlands will no longer invest in programmes for women's rights and gender equality. Unfortunately, the Netherlands is not alone in this, as can be seen, for example, in the reintroduction of the Global GAG rule and the dismantling of USAID by the US. As a result, the rights and position of women and girls worldwide are coming under further pressure, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to support them in their struggle for emancipation.
Gender equality is the basis of democracy, justice and sustainability
As recently as 2022, the Netherlands joined a group of countries that would pursue a feminist foreign policy. And rightly so: gender equality is a fundamental human right, and it is an essential condition for the effective achievement of peace and security, healthy democracies, sustainable economic development, and last but not least, the fight against climate change. For example, Both ENDS works in the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA) with feminist movements worldwide to recognise and support the crucial role that women play, both in the fight against fossil projects and in proposing and implementing effective climate solutions.
Without an integrated approach centred on gender equality, a fair, sustainable and effective climate and biodiversity policy is impossible.
Attack on human rights and democracy
The current attack on women's rights and the rights of other minorities, such as LGBT+ people and migrants, is an attack on human rights and democracy and a fixed part of extreme right-wing politics worldwide. It not only targets international cooperation programmes, but also the position of these groups in their own countries. The proposals for stricter abortion legislation, the rhetoric against transgender people and the openly professed hatred of migrants are all shameful examples of this.
Time to rise up en masse
Now more than ever, it is important to take to the streets and speak out forcefully against the dismantling of gender policy and women's rights, and in favour of solidarity and equality for all!
Both ENDS will therefore be present at the Feminist March on 8 March 2025 in Amsterdam. For more information about this demonstration, see feministmarch2025.nl.
Would you like to join Both ENDS? Then contact Marjolein van Rijn via m.vanrijn [at] bothends.org.
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Letter / 19 October 2022
Both ENDS' input to the 'Consultation Feminist Foreign Policy' of Ministry of Foreign AffairsZa
In May 2022, Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs and Minister Schreinemacher for International Trade and Development Cooperation announced that also The Netherlands will work towards implementing a Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). This means that within its Foreign Policy, the Netherlands will pay more attention to inclusivity in general and specifically to women's rights and gender equality, including LGBTIQ+. This feminist lens will be central to all aspects of foreign policy; security, trade, diplomacy and international cooperation.
To foster an inclusive process and acquire insights in what a Dutch FFP should look like, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened an internet consultation. Both ENDS welcomes the FFP and therefore gladly shares its input and suggestions.
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