On November 11, 2024, the Dutch minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Reinette Klever, announced plans to cut civil society funding by around 1 billion as of 2026. Everyday thousands of courageous women human rights defenders use Dutch government funding to fight for peace, justice and hope, and Minister Klever plans to leave them high and dry.
For decades, resourcing for and partnerships with civil society have been a pillar of the Dutch government’s development policy. The current plans will wreak havoc on women’s rights movements in the Global South that defend democracy, rule of law and human rights; movements that are leading efforts in peacebuilding, climate and sustainable development. This unprecedented budget cut marks an end to Dutch leadership in supporting civil society and women’s rights movements at scale.
“Women, girls, and trans and intersex people around the world are fighting for social change, for justice, for freedom… with all their might. They risk their lives, their health, their reputations, to speak out and work against injustice, exploitation, oppression, war, and violence,” says Happy Mwende Kinyili, Co-Executive Director of Mama Cash. “It is often them against media, their political, religious and traditional leaders. It is them against their parents, husbands, colleagues, neighbours. And to make matters worse, around the world, very well-funded ultra-conservative, authoritarian forces have gained tremendous ground and taken over the media, courts, and international fora.”
If implemented, the scale of these cuts will likely result in countless local initiatives working to advance democracy and human rights having to close. For example, all dedicated funding for the international Women, Peace, and Security agenda, has been cut. In addition, these cuts will lead to a significant loss in the representation and participation of Global South organisations within policy and decision-making bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council or the Commission on the Status of Women. By limiting civil society organisations from using funding for international lobby and advocacy these plans would make it even harder for Dutch and Global South organisations to hold governments accountable. This severs the global solidarity that women’s rights movements have struggled for decades to build. It is particularly devastating when we know that the anti-rights movement is being enabled to function globally.
Saranel Benjamin, Co-Executive Director of Mama Cash confirms: “Strong feminist civil society is no luxury right now. The world needs courageous women and girls, just as much as they need our solidarity. The Dutch government was very good, in the past, in backing women’s rights organisations from the Global South. This work matters, now more than ever, yet the very organisations that are so capable in changing our societies for the better are losing critical support. This is not the time to step back.”
Mama Cash calls on the Dutch parliament to ensure Minister Klever reconsiders these budget cuts and aligns her plans with her Ministry’s own tested and proven strategy for development: investing in strong civil society partnerships that are effective in advancing human rights and ensuring participation of women, girls, and trans and intersex people in all levels of our global society.