Frequently Asked Questions: Women's Rights and Gender equality

Why is investing in women's rights so important? In these Frequently Asked Questions, we try to answer this question as objectively as possible. 
 
What are women's rights and gender equality? 
Gender equality refers to the equal treatment of people regardless of their sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation in society and in the law. Women's rights encompass all basic human rights of women, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention.   
  
Isn't the women's rights agenda just a Western concept? Surely we shouldn't be determining what rights people have in another country?  
Women's rights are human rights, and human rights are universal. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for example, has been signed by almost all UN member states. The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention, and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security were all developed in collaboration with women's rights defenders from the Global South and East. And women around the world are still standing up for their position and their rights. For example, women in Iran, Sudan, and Afghanistan. They are demanding the right to vote, equal treatment, the right to education and self-determination, equal pay for work of equal value, and the right to own property.  
 
Why invest in women's rights and gender equality when there are other groups in vulnerable positions?  
Women and girls, including older women, LBTQI+ and women with disabilities, make up more than half of the world's population. But because they often have fewer rights and opportunities worldwide due to their gender or sexual orientation, they are overrepresented in vulnerable positions. This means they are more often dependent on help from others.    
  
For example, women and children account for 70% of all victims in the current war in Gaza. In Sudan, most indigenous refugees are women and children. Women and girls are also overrepresented in statistics on poverty and famine. Seventy percent of women and girls in fragile states have experienced (sexual) violence. Of the women worldwide who die during childbirth when this could have been prevented, 60% are in a crisis context. In natural and climate disasters, women are 14 times more likely to die.   
 
Investing in women's rights and gender equality therefore means investing in more than half of the world's population. And according to researchers, investing in women also means investing in their families and communities. Women in decision-making positions tend to be more attentive to the needs of children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. This is partly because they are often the first to be called upon to care for these groups. Farming First calculated that if women farmers had the same rights and access to resources, they could help solve famine for 100 to 150 million people worldwide. 
 
Why is it important that we support women human rights defenders?  
Human rights defenders around the world face opposition, intimidation, oppression, and violence. This is because they challenge the status quo and traditions when they stand up for their rights and the rights of other individuals and groups in vulnerable or marginalized positions. Or when they demand a clean living environment. Women human rights defenders also face specific opposition because they are women. Women human rights defenders are increasingly confronted with sexual violence, (online) intimidation, misleading information, anti-gender propaganda, and other forms of physical, mental, and psychological intimidation and attacks. They are confronted with repressive legislation that restricts their freedom of movement and are divided and isolated through subsidy shortages and impossible subsidy requirements. Given these limitations, it is important to protect women human rights defenders. So that they can continue their work and thereby contribute to equal rights and opportunities for all. 
 
If we invest in stability, democracy, and economic growth, won't both men and women benefit?  
That's right. At the same time, women face barriers that prevent them from benefiting equally from stability, democracy, and economic growth. Laws, harmful traditional practices, and social gender norms create barriers that must first be addressed.

 
For example, a recent World Bank report shows that women enjoy only 64% of the legal rights that men have. The global gender gap in the workplace is also greater than previously assumed. In many countries, women do not have access to good healthcare. In countries such as Afghanistan and Somalia, child marriage and/or female genital mutilation are still permitted. In other countries, women are not allowed to own land on which they can grow food and make their own decisions. In countries such as Yemen and Qatar, women are excluded from political decision-making. Worldwide, only 27% of parliamentarians are women. 
  
What are the economic benefits for the Netherlands of investing in women's rights and gender equality in other countries?  
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states that countries where women's rights and gender equality are well regulated have a more robust economy with more growth. McKinsey calculated that investing in gender equality could generate as much as $12 to $28 trillion in growth for the global economy. This would benefit both developing countries and developed countries such as the Netherlands. After all, the Dutch economy relies heavily on international trade. 

 

Vice versa, the current gender inequality is a major cost factor. The World Bank estimates that violence against women costs up to 3.7% of a country's gross national product. That is more than double what most governments spend on education. Only a fraction of economic investments currently go to women entrepreneurs, while researchers argue that women entrepreneurs generate twice as much revenue on average.   

Women entrepreneurs are ambitious, creative, and successful. Although less than half of investment capital goes to them, according to the European Investment Bank, women start-ups generate twice as much revenue for every euro invested in them. Companies with more women in senior positions perform better. Companies with strong representation of women on their boards are 28% more likely to outperform their competitors.  

How does investing in women's rights and gender equality in other countries contribute to the security of the Netherlands?

Research shows that countries where women's rights and gender equality are well regulated are safer and more stable. The smaller the gender gap, the less likely it is that a country will end up in violent conflict or in conflict with other countries. Increasing violence against women and LGBTQI+ people is therefore a barometer of social instability and violent extremism. Peace agreements in which women participated have been found to last 20-35% longer. 

The Netherlands also benefits from allies who stand up for individual freedom, security, and human rights. In the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel, women's rights and LGBTQI+ organizations are on the front lines defending our shared democratic values. They play an important role in countering violent and extremist ideologies, promoting nonviolent forms of resistance against repressive regimes, and de-escalating violent conflict. Reports and research show that women, partly because of their position as educators of the family and often as informal leaders in a community, are seen as less threatening, can mediate more easily, and build social cohesion.   
 
The Netherlands is only a small country and faces other crises such as the asylum crisis and housing shortage. Wouldn't it be better to deal with this at EU or UN level?  
As the Directorate for International Research and Policy Evaluation (IOB) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted, by providing aid or investing in international cooperation solely through multilateral organizations, the Netherlands is given less control. Once funds have been allocated to the EU and UN, the Netherlands can no longer determine exactly where and to whom Dutch money goes. At the same time, research shows that EU and UN funding is inaccessible to the very women's rights organizations that are already doing all the work locally. Less than 1% of the funding appears to reach women's organizations. Larger organizations can still receive subsidies from EU and UN funding. The majority of women's organizations cannot, as they are too small for this.   

Finally, there is a world of difference between having to carry out part of a project as a subcontractor and having access to a substantially larger amount of money that you can control yourself. This money can be used by women's organizations to organize themselves and build movements. It can be used to strengthen institutional capacities and respond to current political and social developments.   

 

Can women's rights organizations not find creative financing in other ways?  
Women's organizations do nothing but seek creative funding themselves. At the same time, a large number of these organizations are in the midst of war, humanitarian crises, etc. They have little time for creative fundraising. 

How much is the Dutch annual development cooperation budget for women's rights and gender equality?  
Between 2021 and 2025, the Netherlands invested nearly €500 million in projects focused on equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, including sexual and reproductive health and rights. That was approximately 3% of the ODA (official development assistance) budget: significant support for women and girls worldwide, but considerably less than UN and EU guidelines. The UN guideline for UN member states is to spend 15% of the ODA budget in conflict areas on programs that benefit women's rights and gender equality. The European Union's target for contributions to gender equality is 85%.