Dutch Ministry of Development Cooperation and Gender Equality
Every year, the Netherlands contributes 0.8% of its GNP to poverty reduction (approximatley 4 billion euros). This makes it one of the few countries to meet the internationally agreed norm for development aid. Half of this money goes to Africa, where poverty is most acute.
Dutch Development Cooperation and Gender Equality
Improving the position of women worldwide and taking action to suppress discrimination against women are major points of emphasis in Dutch human rights policy. The Netherlands played a key role during negotiations on the Optional Protocol to the CEDAW which provides for a complaints procedure giving female victims of human rights violations the opportunity to be interviewed by the CEDAW Committee. The Netherlands was one of the first countries to sign the Optional Protocol, which has since been ratified. For the Netherlands it entered into force on 22 August 2002.
Especially in the UN, the Netherlands devotes its efforts to opposing discrimination against women. States have an obligation to prevent, investigate and punish acts of violence against women, a principle expressly stated in the final document of Fourth World Conference on Women the basic principle underlying Dutch policy.
Main Themes in Gender Policy
Worldwide, the Dutch government supports a large number of projects run by international organisations, NGOs and government bodies in the area of Women's rights, frequently as an integral part of country programmes for women and development. Examples include projects aimed at abolishing Female genital cutting, Child marriage, acid throwing, Trafficking of Women and forced Prostitution, projects that provide support to victims of violence, foster reproductive health, and boost reproductive rights, and projects seeking to promote women’s participation in education, political decision-making, and public administration, as well as a range of activities devised to promote the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. Approximately 40% of the Netherlands’ contribution to education now has an explicit gender-based goal.
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