Rally for Women’s Rights Festival

On Saturday November 29th, WO=MEN and members are hosting the Rally for Women’s Rights Festival! Two years after the one and only Feminist Foreign Policy Community Festival we are back with an informal, interactive and inspiring day designed by and for civil society. This edition isall about gender equality and women’s rights. We will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action.

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, also known as ‘Beijing+30’. In light of this celebration, WO=MEN and members have been organising a campaign around this anniversary. More information about the campaign can be found here.

No better way to finish our campaign and celebrate Beijing+30 than a festival! And that on International Women Human Rights Defenders Day,on the 29th of November. 

At the Rally for Women’s Rights Festival, we will be providing space for workshops, dialogues, documentary and film screenings, interactive games, you name it.All under the same roof: at Neude 11 in Utrecht.  

What? Below you’ll find an overview of all festival sessions. Do check back here regularly, for more sessions will follow soon!

 

Manosphere: How to reach out to boys and men. A simple solution, yet by no means easy. Organised by Emancipator. From 09:30-11:00 in room Podium. Language: Dutch.
The boy that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth. This Ubuntu expression will be start of an interactive workshop on how to engage with boys and men, to prevent their radicalisation. Both on an individual level and as a village or society. The radicalisation of boys and men, lead to all sorts of violence and misogyny which gets weaponised to not only attack women's rights, but also all those (x/f/m) that stand up to protect these rights. There really is a simple solution that we will further explore in this session.

 

Sign up for this session (dutch only) through this link.

 

Gender-responsive budgeting is essential for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, as it helps to highlight the impact of government budgets on women, men and non-binary persons. This method is not yet applied in the Netherlands, which contributes to systemic discrimination and human rights violations, as evidenced by the increase in reports to Art. 1. Although the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been using this method in development cooperation since the 1990s, domestic budgets remain largely gender-blind. This programme component will conclude with a participatory Brown Paper Session on new perspectives and a call to action.

Join us for an event where we present the latest findings on Child Marriage and the Realities Faced by Girls Worldwide. The report highlights the global context on girls' and women's rights, the deep-rooted causes of child marriage and its profound impact on girls’ education, health, rights, and futures. 

 

Together with two young grassroots activists from Ethiopia and Ghana, we will unpack the data and share regional insights in a plenary moderated part. In an interactive discussion, we will further exploretwo scenarios: 

This interactive format centers girls’ voices and asks: what do girls and young women need from community, national, and global level to protect and empower them? Whether you're a practitioner, advocate, policymaker, or student, your voice matters in shaping the solutions. 

 

Sign up through this link.

Power Women: Energy Documentaries
Why does energy poverty hit women so hard? And how can they, in particular, be the driving force behind sustainable change? During this special evening, we'll dive into personal stories, inspiring examples, and new perspectives on the right to energy and social justice.
 
We'll watch two impressive documentaries:

• Pennies Make Pounds:The moving story of a woman from England who struggles to pay her energy bill every month. An intimate portrait of resilience, vulnerability, and the structural obstacles that perpetuate energy poverty.
• We the Power:A hopeful film about local communities in Europe taking back control of their energy production. Inspiring proof that collective action can truly bring about change.

This will be moderated by Dr. Marielle Feenstra, a pioneer in gender and energy policy since 2000. With her experience in research, policy development, and as co-founder of 75inQ (Institute for Inclusive Energy Transition), she will ensure an in-depth and stimulating dialogue after the films.
Come watch, listen, and join the discussion about how we can build a just and inclusive energy future together.
 
Join the Energy Dreamboard
Do you dream of a world where energy is shared fairly, where everyone, regardless of gender, has a voice in the energy transition? During our Dreamboard session, we invite you to bring your vision to life!

Power women: Energy Dialogue - become an Energy Buddy
Become an Energy Buddy! Join the Energy Buddy Speed ​​DatesCurious how others manage energy? During the Energy Buddy Speed ​​Dates, you'll discuss your energy use with other participants in short, inspiring conversations.

Come watch, listen, talk and dream.
Together, we make energie fairer, greener and more equal. Join us. Get inspired. Become a Power woman.
 
No need to sign up, you can just walk in!

Come play the Inclusion game: Stigma and barriers to Disability inclusion in accessing SRHR. Organised by Liliane Fonds. From 11:30-13:00 in room Podium. Language: Dutch/English. 
Using the inclusion game by SeeYou Foundation we will discuss scenarios where three people living with different disabilities are attending a health center pop up in their village and face a slew of obstacles in accessing their healthcare needs. Besides physical access, lack of access can be caused by institutional, communicational or attitudinal aspects. The audience will be welcomed to intervene and solve these challenges. This is relevant for anyone working in the field of SRHR and health care to better understand the complexity of disability inclusion and that just putting up a ramp does not automatically mean that disability inclusion is achieved. Participants will also reflect on ‘quick wins’ and more structural solutions for improved access.

 

Sign up through this link.

 

Join us for an interactive World Café experience that brings the urgency of the triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution— to life. During this event we are unpacking the UN from a feminist perspective. You will get the latest insights about the gender negotiations during COP 30, fresh updates on UN biodiversity and the most recent state of affairs of the preparations for the Seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). Through role-play and dialogue, we will navigate the power dynamics and alliances that shape international agreements. We approach these negotiations through a feminist lens, asking how gender justice and inclusivity can reshape the way we respond to our planet’s most pressing crises.

 

Sign up through this link.

 

This session aims to build bridges and identify gaps for organizations working in the climate sphere and its intersections in the Netherlands. Anila Noor, founder and managing Director of New Women Connectors will speak about the lack of inclusivity and intersectionality in climate action spaces, including some reflections from COP30. Aytül Yüksel, founder of Co-Climate Consultancy, will unpack what root cause analysis is, and in breakout discussions, participants will discuss potential solutions based on their unique experiences. After the breakouts, the findings will be discussed in plenary to identify notable gaps in the Dutch climate action spaces and to see how other organisations within the WO=MEN network can help bridge these gaps and move forward stronger, together.

 

Sign up through this link.

 

On screen: International solidarity during the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. Organised door Atria. From 11:30-13:00 in room Filmzaal. Language: Dutch. 
In 1995, 17.000 delegates and 30.000 activists from around the world gathered in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women. Dutch women's organisations from all around our country also traveled to Beijing. Thirty years after this historic conference, Atria and Vertelburo are recording the stories of eight remarkable Dutch women who were there. Why did they decide to travel Beijing? What dreams did they have for the future of women? What was it like to be there and how do they look back on it now? Oral history brings the experiences of these women to life and shows the impact of their work. We are showing a teaser of the oral history interviews and are offering a unique digital glimpse into Atria's archive regarding the conference in Beijing. Come and see for yourself the collective power and international solidarity of the Fourth World Women's Conference! Duration: every 15 minutes!

 

No need to sign up, you can just walk in.

 

From participation to peace. Organised by Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). From 14:00-15:30 in the room Podium. Language: English.
This session is all about how to use participatory video methods to amplify the voices of women and girls in peace and reconciliation processes. In this session local coordinators of GPPAC will present participatory video methodology as a tool for group work and share how it was used in the context of the project Palestinian Women Lead the Way, implemented in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and Cairo as a tool for peer-to-peer learning, documentation of women's stories and engagement with policymakers to advocate for including their voices and perspectives in the reconciliation discussions. 

 

Sign up through this link.

No dancing, No revolution - Reclaiming joy in our resistance. Organised by AidsFonds. From 14:00-15:30 in room Collegezaal. Language: English. 
"Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.”  - Sue Kidd Monk 

Those of us who work in this sector often forget that we are very much part of the change that we wish to see. This session focuses on change from within. Each of us who work in the business of changing the world – are here because of a story. A story that motivates us, that enrages us and that drives us to fight for rights for ourselves and those around us. 

This session will offer attendees a space to go within and share your personal stories that radicalised you and made you into political beings. Stories that brought you to the revolution. In sharing our stories, we remember our purpose and drink from the fountain of collective hope and reisistance.
As no revolution is complete without dancing, expect this space to also give you an opportunity to shake off your stress and celebrate our collective joy. Come remember, renew and dance with us.  

This session will be facilitated by Srushti Mahamuni, Senior Gender Advisor, SAGE - RCF/Aidsfonds and is supported by Jill van Duin and Kenya Van de Loo.

Please note that this session will be conducted in English. We unfortunately cannot accommodate translation needs due to the nature of this session. Limited spots are available, so sign up as soon as possible.

 

Sign up through this link. 
 

Advocacy crash course: engaging resistant stakeholders on gender equality. Organised by Cordaid. From 14:00-15:30 in room Postzaal 2+3. Language: English. 
A practical workshop to strengthen participants' capacity to engage resistant or challenging stakeholders on gender equality issues. The session will combine a brief introduction to lobby & advocacy principles with practical exercises on stakeholder- and power analysis and developing a strategy. Participants will work in small groups to analyse different types of stakeholders and develop targeted strategies.
This workshop is targeted at both experienced advocates looking to sharpen their skills and those new to feminist advocacy who want practical tools to get more involved. The interactive format supports peer learning across experience levels. Participants will leave with practical tools and action plans for engaging resistant stakeholders in their own contexts.

 

Sign up through this link. 

Take concrete steps against further militarisation! Step into the shoes of young boys in conflict areas around the world. Organised by PAX, ABAAD and CARE Netherlands. From 14:00-15:30 in room Theater. Language: English.

Step into the shoes of young boys in conflict areas around the world and consider the pull and push factors they experience. Never before has so much money been invested in building armies, and at the same time we are seeing a peak in armed conflict. How are dominant masculinity norms and processes of militarisation related? What concrete steps can we take to involve men and boys as accountable allies in feminist peace efforts? Learn more about processes of militarisation and how we can work together to change militarised masculinity norms. We will use a recently published Militarism & Masculinities toolkit that ABAAD and PAX have published together, and also link to what dominant masculinity norms mean for militarisation in the Netherlands and Dutch foreign policy.

 

Sign up through this link.

 

Artivism (art & activism) is the practice of using creativity and art forms to achieve activist goals. This free space will provide plenty of materials and examples to get your creativity flowing. Put your favorite activist slogan on a button, make poetry or design protest signs. Add colour to feminist drawings, contribute to our banner, or create something for yourself. Come for a bit, or stay all day. Whatever you do – make it feminist and get inspired!

 

No need to sign up - we will see you there!

Women’s Rights Rally. Organised by WO=MEN. From 9:00-16:00 at the Tribune. Language: Dutch/English.
Race in mini cars on a playful track full of obstacles and accelerators with the Women's Rights Rally, the race for women's rights! A fun and symbolic race, full of obstacles and accelerators; this is how you experience the barriers that stand in the way of equal rights. Will you make it to the finish line? Who or what will give you that extra push? The winner will, of course, have their photo taken with the trophy! The Women's Rights Rally is part of the "Full Force Ahead for Women's Rights” campaign by WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, Politica and member organisations to raise awareness of the need for gender equality and women's rights in the Netherlands.

 

No need to sign up – we will see you there! 

The Sex Workers Who Changed History Fashion Show! Organized by sex worker collective SAVE (Sex Workers Against Violence & Exploitation). From 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. in the Theater. Language: Dutch (but there is plenty to see and enjoy even if you don’t understand all the spoken words).  
As a spectacular finale to the Festival, we have booked the amazing Sex Workers Who Changed History Fashion Show! This show takes you on a journey through the history of sex work. It is a colorful tribute to all sex workers who have fought for women's and queer rights and against slavery. Sex workers are fighters, rebels, revolutionaries, heroines, and heroes! The models are sex workers and allies, because we believe it is important that not only sex workers but also others speak out for sex workers' rights. The beautiful costumes were made by the Trans Sisters, a collective of creative queer refugees.

 

After the Fashion Show, everyone is welcome to celebrate the day with drinks & dancing!