The northern Dolle Mina’s from Drenthe, Groningen and Friesland today set a tent camp on Waagplein in Leeuwarden. Under the ‘Mina’s sleeping on the street’ campaign, they want to demand municipal and national attention for the shortage of places in women’s shelter.
Along with the rise of the first generation of Dolle Mina’s in the 70s, the stay-of-my-body houses also came. Reception for women who have to deal with serious domestic violence. Today, 55 years after the rise of the Mina’s and the stay-of-my-body houses, they are committed to more reception places.
In 2011, the Netherlands signed the Treaty of Istanbul. This treaty entered into force in 2016 and sets requirements for the approach to (domestic) violence against women. It is not only about the national approach but also about the regional and local approach. In this way, municipalities were given the responsibility to have enough reception places for women.
According to the Istanbul Convention, there must be 1 place per 10,000 inhabitants in crisis relief. More than 500,000 people live in Drenthe, so there should be 50 places at these types of reception places. National this should be 1800, but there are more than 1000 at the moment. A considerable shortage.
In Emmen is the only women’s shelter in the province of Drenthe. This daycare is from Stichting Weber who has these reception locations in various places in the country. According to Colien Schaap, one of the Drentse Dolle Mina’s, the Northern Netherlands is doing properly. “In Drenthe, reception spots for women are well arranged. I can’t tell exactly how much there are, but the problem of deficits is mainly in the Randstad.”
Emmen is, as Schaap calls it, a central municipality. “People from other places in Drenthe are referred to the location in Emmen.” Sheep does not see that there are no more places in Drenthe as a problem. “It can also be very liberating that you do not end up in your own place of residence, but in another city. For a little more privacy.” Next year there will be innovations at the reception location in Emmen.
In addition to the need for more reception spots, the Dolle Mina’s also want pavement notifications to be possible again. That means that if a woman appears at a women’s house, she can be helped immediately. “That is not the case everywhere at the moment. That one time that a woman manages to come by, it must be taken seriously. It can be so difficult to arrange, because an ex-partner will, for example, stick them,” Schaap knows.
The promotion of the Dolle Mina’s continues until 7 p.m. tonight.