In this book, Ireen Dubel analyses the so far unnoticed history of nearly five decades of Dutch transnational feminist solidarity with women’s rights in the Global South in particular. This history begins in 1975, the International Women’s Year, which ignited contemporary Dutch transnational feminist solidarity engagement. Archival research, interviews with key actors and first-hand documentation of events and policy claims form the rich empirical grounding of the book’s case studies. These include a variety of solidarity initiatives, ranging from safeguarding reproductive rights and access to safe abortion, to supporting women under apartheid, recognising women’s rights at the UN, promoting sexual rights and diversity, and mobilising political and financial support for women’s movements around the world. By discussing specific case studies of solidarity activism and policy advocacy, Dubel offers compelling evidence and an explanation for the sustainability and outcomes of Dutch transnational feminist solidarity activism. This history has the power to inspire contemporary and future transnational feminist solidarity engagement. Prelude 11 1 Introduction 12 Money matters 12 A rich feminist heritage 13 Contextualising development and development cooperation 16 Contexualising 1975 – emerging social movements in the Netherlands 18 Guiding questions and concepts 21 Methods and data collection 32 Structure of the book 33 Postscript 35 Part One: Pivotal Pioneers 1975-1985 2 1975 ‘Not just a year, but a lifetime for women’ 41 Introduction 41 Contextual challenges 41 Cold War politics 43 International Women’s Year 43 Dutch propositions for Mexico City 44 Dutch positions at the conference 46 Politics at the tribune 49 IWY legacy 50 Conclusion 52 3 Pioneering Feminist Advocacy and Knowledge Production 54 Introduction 54 NGOs as a channel for development cooperation 54 Sex and gender disaggregation 55 Encountering arrogance, ignorance and resistance 56 Co-financing agencies dragging their feet 57 Advocacy success 58 Funding women’s movements and organisations 60 Gadfly with iron influence 62 Women and Development Studies pioneers 63 Decolonising and intersectional research avant la lettre 68 ISS W&D legacy 74 Conclusion 75 4 From ‘Population Control No!’ to Reproductive Rights 76 Introduction 76 We Women Demand 76 From local to transnational organising 77 Fundraising politics 79 Mobilising feminist forces 81 Reproductive rights and wrongs 82 Preparations for the International Conference on Population 85 The politics of population issues 86 The birth of the Global Gag Rule 89 Reproductive rights advocacy post-1984 90 Conclusion 92 5 Taking Stock of the Women’s Decade 93 Introduction 93 International contextual challenges for gender equality policies 94 Dutch challenges and opportunities for gender equality policy 94 In search for a new paradigm 96 Dutch advocacy for Nairobi 99 A lesbian feminist coalition 101 Bleak prospects 103 Forum ’85 105 Dutch positions in Nairobi 108 Coming of age 111 Conclusion 112 Epilogue: Pivotal Pioneers 115 Part Two: Influencing Institutions 1986-1995 6 Gender Knowledge Brokers 121 Introduction 121 Advocacy for autonomy 121 Autonomy criticised 123 Policy development – the case of Hivos 127 Gender training 129 A quest for tools 132 Challenges and dilemmas of institutionalisation and North-South partnerships 134 Conclusion 136 7 Malibongwe for a Non-Racial, Non-Sexist South Africa 138 Introduction 138 Preparing for post-apartheid 138 Mobilising material and political support 139 Racist birth and population control 141 Shifting perspectives 144 Organisational tour de force 147 Malibongwe’s significance 151 Transition politics 156 Challenges of international solidarity 158 Conclusion 160 8 Women’s Human Rights out of the Brackets 162 Introduction 162 Contextual opportunities and challenges 162 Engendering environmental issues in Rio de Janeiro 164 Women’s rights are human rights in Vienna 166 Reproductive rights and abortion in Cairo 171 Holding the line in Copenhagen 174 A long and winding road to Beijing 176 Dutch preparations for Beijing 177 Contestations and compromises in Beijing 179 Post-Beijing 183 Conclusion 184 Epilogue: Influencing Institutions 186 Part Three: Moving into the New Millennium 1996-2005 9 Sexual Rights out of the Closet 191 Introduction 191 Terminology 192 1995 – homophobia and LGBT rights in Southern Africa 192 From HIV/AIDS to LGBT rights 194 From homophobia to international LGBT advocacy 196 Preparations for the Gay Games 199 A pink week in Amsterdam 201 The significance of the Gay Games 205 Post-1998 Gay Games 206 Conclusion 208 10 Abortion Activists Make Waves 209 Introduction 209 1999 – Cairo+5 review 209 New medical technology – a new avenue and threat 211 Entrepreneurial feminist activism 212 Navigating the waves 214 Wrangling with Dutch abortion politics 218 Women on Web – post-clinic abortion access and care 221 From transnational to domestic entrepreneurial feminist activism 223 Conclusion 227 11 Beijing’s Unfulfilled Promises 228 Introduction 228 High expectations 228 Narrowing domestic gender issues and dismantling feminist advocacy capacity 229 Women and development no longer a policy priority 232 A new global agenda for the 21st century 234 International and national political junctures 235 Gender, peace and security 236 After the Dutch 2002 critical juncture 238 Beijing+10 240 Conclusion 244 Epilogue: Moving into the New Millennium 246 Part Four: Resilience and Reinvigoration 2006-2018 12 Where is the Money? 251 Introduction 251 The MDGs and gender mainstreaming 251 International feminist impetus 252 Review of gender mainstreaming 253 International perspectives on gender mainstreaming 255 Building national momentum 256 Building international momentum 260 Launching the MDG3 Fund at the 2008 CSW 262 MDG3 Fund recipients 264 Austerity politics and securing the MDG3 Fund 265 Gender mainstreaming revisited 267 Competing for government attention and finance 268 Conclusion 269 13 Investing in Women 271 Introduction 271 Juggling with instrumental framing 271 FLOW I 273 ‘Smart’ security 273 Feminist leadership on aid, trade and investments 275 Beijing+20 277 Securing earmarked funding for women’s movements 279 Unresolved dissent 282 SheDecides 286 Domestic gender and LGBT equality policy 287 An advocacy victory thanks to CEDAW 289 Conclusion 291 Epilogue: Resilience and Reinvigoration 293 Conclusion 14 Looking Back to the Future 299 Introduction 299 Advocacy outcomes 299 Movement dynamics 301 Explaining the outcomes and sustainability of transnational feminist solidarity advocacy 302 Contentious aspects of Dutch transnational feminist solidarity advocacy 308 Transnational feminist solidarity revisited 312 Epilogue: Looking at the future from a crossroads in 2025 314 Acknowledgements 317 Annex List of Cabinets, (junior) Ministers and Political Parties 320 Biographies 326 List of Abbreviations 342 Notes 345 Sources 393 Bibliography 397 Illustrations and Photographic Acknowledgements 431 Index 433