No civic space, no justice - why we continue to speak out
Civic space - the space in which people are allowed to organise, have their voices heard and influence policy - is shrinking worldwide.
We also feel it in the Netherlands: demonstrators are sometimes filmed and visited at home. Rights of civil society organisations - for example, to sue the state - are called into question.
Careful about words
One consequence may be that people become more careful about using certain words. Are we still allowed to talk about ‘gender’, ‘feminism’ or ‘systems change’? Or do we shy away in order not to offend key donors and decision-makers? But if we start censoring our language, we lose more than words, namely the ideas we stand for. We lose our identity, our mission.
Not controversial
Simavi works every day for a world where women and girls have access to water, sanitation and equal treatment. A world where human rights, gender equality, water and climate justice are not controversial words, but self-evident principles. Why? Because everyone is equal and has equal rights. It is unfair that the most vulnerable people are hit hardest by for example climate change.
Direct threat to democracy
The recent warning from the Advisory Council on International Affairs makes this painfully clear: shrinking civic space is not a distant concept. It is a direct threat to democracy, freedom and justice - worldwide and here in the Netherlands. The AIV rightly points out that democracies only remain vital if everyone can think, participate and decide freely. Without civic space, those in power are no longer corrected. Without civic space, fundamental rights are stealthily eroded.
Erosion of freedom
Especially now, under a government that is itself putting civic space under pressure in all kinds of ways, it is even more important to speak out. Not only about what goes wrong in other countries, but also about the erosion of freedom here in the Netherlands.
'Civic space belongs to all of us. We fight for it - because without it, there can be no just world'
Simavi is an organisation that values feminist principles. That means: we stand for women's rights. We do not bow. We do not censor ourselves. We make space - for truth, for justice, for system change.
Standing firm
The water crisis demands action. Gender inequality demands action. Climate justice demands action. Not tomorrow, but today. And that starts with daring to speak freely, with standing firm, even when it’s difficult. We will not be silenced. We will not let ourselves be made small.
Civic space belongs to all of us. We fight for it - because without it, there can be no just world. And without justice, there is no sustainable future.
Dieneke van der Wijk, director Simavi
