State Secretary Mariëlle Paul (Basic Education and Emancipation): “Freedom and safety are important for everyone. To develop as a person, but also because we all benefit as a society. We need all talents. Large groups of people still face inappropriate behavior, street harassment, threats, or physical violence. Just for who they are or how they look. I will not let that happen.”

The state secretary also wants people to be able to participate fully in society.

Mariëlle Paul: “Half of women, for example, are not financially independent. Paid work is an important step towards achieving economic independence. Therefore, the cabinet supports women who want to work more. Affordable and accessible childcare can help with that.”

Everyone in the Netherlands has the right to be safe: on the street, in the workplace, at school, at home, online, and while going out. For women and lhbtiq+ individuals, these places are often threatening and unsafe. The fight against sexual harassment and sexual violence continues, among other things, through the National Action Program to Combat Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence.

This program works towards a cultural change that counters this behavior in areas such as student life, education, on the street, and in the workplace. Public campaigns are part of this approach.

Lhbtiq+ individuals are much more often victims of violent crimes, disrespectful behavior, and bullying. Therefore, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Security (JenV), a follow-up to the Action Plan for the Safety of lhbti 2019-2022 will be developed. This Action Plan focuses on reducing violence and discrimination against these groups, emphasizing criminal justice approaches and increasing social safety.

Freedom and safety start in schools. Therefore, State Secretary Paul will come up with the Bill for Free and Safe Education before the summer recess. The goal is safer schools for everyone, especially for girls and lhbtiq+ students.

We need to take more steps to achieve equality for women in the labor market. Women are more often working part-time. Women also wrongly choose less often for sectors that are seen as male-dominated, such as technology. Ultimately, this leads to women having insufficient security and financial independence.

The cabinet wants to improve the conditions for women so they can participate fully. State Secretary Paul also encourages girls to choose technology. The educational programs Techkwadraat and Strong Technical Education (STO) introduce young people to (natural) sciences, technology, and ICT. Both programs pay extra attention to girls and other underrepresented groups.

Women still earn less on average than men, even when they do exactly the same work and perform equally. To combat this, the EU Directive on Pay Transparency will be implemented. This will provide both employers and employees with more insight into wage differences within the company, making discussions about these differences easier.

There is also attention to the number of women in top positions. Good steps have been taken, but the number of top women remains behind. The Growth Quota Act and target figures will be evaluated in 2027.

Mariëlle Paul is the coordinating minister for Emancipation. In this role, she encourages all ministries to pay attention to equality between men and women and the equality of lhbtiq+ individuals in policy and legislation. Other departments can receive support from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) in this regard, but they are themselves responsible for implementing the emancipation mandate.

Achieving emancipation goals is not conceivable without the involvement of civil society organizations, which combine the experiences of various target groups with expertise in diverse policy areas. Therefore, OCW has formed alliances with these organizations.