Following the footprint of other countries, the Netherlands is on its way to developing a Dutch Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP). As a feminist consortium, Count Me In! joined with the Dutch media platform Vice Versa so that the policy can grow to the right direction to be gender-transformative, intersectional, and anti-racist.
Evidence shows that feminist movements are the most effective way to reduce inequality and achieve gender justice. Now that the anti-rights forces are getting stronger by the day, feminist movements need more resources, support and attention than ever. Yet, the funding for women’s rights and feminist organisations is well below 1% (OECD, 2020; AWID 2021). Feminist activists around the world are putting their health, well-being and safety on the line to defend the rights of women, girls, gender non-binary and non-conforming people.
The Vice Versa special presents a compelling picture of such realities and offers several directions on how feminist foreign policy can support feminist movements better. For example, in this special, Count Me In! emphasises the importance of leading from the South and shifting the power in the formation and implementation of such policy. We also underscore why an effective FFP must be mindful of the needs of structurally excluded women and girls who face layers of oppression and discrimination. You can read more about CMI!’s recommendation for the Dutch feminist foreign policy here.
Equipped with recommendations and key messages, the Dutch version of this Vice Versa special was handed over to the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Leisje Scheinemacher, on December 9 2022. The English version will be available soon.
