WO=MEN
WO=MEN, Dutch Gender Platform is a Dutch non-profit association coordinating the largest gender equality network in the Netherlands and Europe, connecting approximately 56 member organizations and 150 professionals through thematic working groups, flagship programs, and policy advocacy directed at Dutch ministries and EU/UN institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersDen Haag, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WO=MEN does
WO=MEN, Dutch Gender Platform (Vereniging WO=MEN) is a Dutch non-profit association founded in 2006 by Oxfam Novib, Hivos, Cordaid, and ICCO to address the lack of gender focus in development cooperation budgets and the absence of coordination among gender-focused civil society organizations. The platform connects approximately 56 member organizations and 150 individual professionals spanning development and peace NGOs, women's rights organizations, diaspora groups, trade unions, police, journalists, academics, military personnel, entrepreneurs, and students, and is self-described as the largest gender platform of its kind in the Netherlands and Europe. Core activities are organized around three thematic working groups (Gender and Sustainable Economy; Political Lobby; Gender, Peace and Security) and flagship programs including NAP 1325, Politica, Beijing+30, and the Count Me In! Consortium, supported by a public Kennisbank (knowledge base) and SDG5 awareness tools (Gender Facts Game, Checklist Gendergelijkheid).
The organization pursues policy influence at the Dutch, EU, and UN levels, with formal ECOSOC consultative status (since 2021) enabling participation in UN processes including the Commission on the Status of Women. The underlying technology stack is modest and conventional for a Dutch civil society platform: a HubSpot integration for membership forms, Mollie for donation payment processing, Google Analytics 4 with anonymized IPs, CookieYes for consent management, and active social media accounts on Bluesky, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. WO=MEN holds ANBI public benefit status (since 2009) and operates under a directeur-bestuurder governance model with a Raad van Toezicht (Supervisory Board).
Revenue is generated through three streams: individual and organizational membership subscriptions priced at €35–€80/year, voluntary donations via Triodos bank transfer and Mollie payment links, and project funding from Dutch ministries and international institutions. The 9-person staff is led by Executive Director Anne-Floor Dekker (promoted in 2024 from a long-tenured programme role), and the organization is headquartered at Korte Poten 9B, The Hague, Netherlands. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
WO=MEN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WO=MEN
- Legal name
- Vereniging WO=MEN, Dutch Gender Platform
- Website
- https://wo-men.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WO=MEN, Dutch Gender Platform is a Dutch non-profit association coordinating the largest gender equality network in the Netherlands and Europe, connecting approximately 56 member organizations and 150 professionals through thematic working groups, flagship programs, and policy advocacy directed at Dutch ministries and EU/UN institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WO=MEN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Den Haag
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WO=MEN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership fees: Organizations and individuals pay annual membership fees to join WO=MEN. Individual membership starts at €35/year for students and €50/year for regular members. Organizational membership starts from €80/year depending on organization income.
- Donations: WO=MEN accepts one-off and recurring donations from individuals and organizations who want to support gender equality work. Donations can be made via bank transfer to Triodos account NL34TRIO0781399319.
- Government and institutional funding: As a civil society platform, WO=MEN receives funding from government programs and international institutions to support its advocacy, programs, and operational activities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership (student) |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual membership (regular) |
| Subscription | Annual | Organizational membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
WO=MEN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WO=MEN is a Dutch non-profit membership platform that coordinates a network of approximately 56 organizations and 150 individual professionals advocating for gender equality, women's rights, and inclusive policies. It delivers its offering through thematic working groups (Gender and Sustainable Economy, Political Lobby, Gender Peace and Security), advocacy programs (NAP 1325, Beijing+30, Politica, Count Me In! Consortium), a public Kennisbank knowledge database, SDG5 tools, events, and direct policy lobbying with Dutch ministries and at UN processes.
Product overview
WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform is a coalition/network organization (not a traditional tech product company) that serves as the largest gender platform in the Netherlands and Europe. The platform connects approximately 56 organizations and 150 professionals through a membership structure, offering knowledge resources (Kennisbank), advocacy tools (SDG5 Gender Facts Game, SDG5 Checklist Gendergelijkheid), thematic programs (Politica, NAP 1325, Beijing+30, Count Me In! Consortium), working groups, events, and policy lobbying services. The core offering is the network itself combined with advocacy resources, not a software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kennisbank (Knowledge Bank) Online knowledge database containing information about global gender equality, women's rights, and the themes WO=MEN advocates for, including resources dating from 1994 to the present. Aimed at members, journalists, researchers, and policymakers.
- SDG5 Tool: Gender Facts Game Interactive tool designed to inform event visitors about gender facts related to SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Used at WO=MEN events and by member organizations for advocacy and awareness raising.
- SDG5 Tool: Checklist Gendergelijkheid A checklist tool for organizations to assess and improve their gender equality practices. Targeted at civil society organizations and member institutions.
- Politica Program An alliance with Stem op een Vrouw, Nederlandse Vrouwen Raad and Emancipator focused on increasing women (in their diversity) in politics. Targeted at political parties, candidates, and policymakers.
- National Action Plan 1325 (NAP 1325) Coordination programme implementing the UN Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Netherlands through collaboration between more than sixty civil society partners and four Dutch ministries. Aimed at government, civil society, and peace organizations.
- Beijing+30 Program Campaign programme for the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, focused on reflection, engagement and action for gender justice. Aimed at civil society, policymakers, and women's rights advocates.
- Count Me In! Consortium
Quantifiable outcome
- Facilitates advocacy that contributed to CEDAW implementation monitoring
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use WO=MEN
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WO=MEN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
WO=MEN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Jonge KlimaatbewegingcoreMember partner collaborating with WO=MEN on climate negotiations SB64 in Bonn.
- Mercy CorpscoreMember partner collaborating on climate and gender work, present at SB64 Bonn climate negotiations.
- Mondiaal FNVcoreMember organization partner in climate and gender work, participated in Bonn climate negotiations.
- Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF)coreMember partner active in climate and gender equality work, participated in SB64 climate negotiations.
- WarChildcoreOrganized meeting bringing Palestinian women human rights defenders to engage with Dutch policymakers. WarChild requested WO=MEN to facilitate this dialogue.
- ActionAidcoreMember organization that co-organized the Palestinian women defenders event with WO=MEN.
- CordaidcoreMember organization that co-organized the Feminist Foreign Policy Community Festival with WO=MEN.
- HivoscoreMember organization and co-host of Feminist Foreign Policy Community Festival, partner in various advocacy initiatives.
- CARE NederlandcoreMember organization and key partner in gender and climate work. Collaborated on climate negotiations (SB64 Bonn) and Beijing+30 events.
- Oxfam NovibcoreFounding member of WO=MEN. Continues as key member organization in the platform.
- Ukraine Women FundcoreMulti-year partnership supporting regional and international advocacy of Ukrainian women's rights organizations and their partners.
- PartoscoreWO=MEN is a member of Partos, the Dutch development sector association, and adheres to the Partos Code of Conduct.
- Count Me In! ConsortiumcoreWO=MEN is part of this consortium focused on feminist funding and advocacy work.
- Dutch Ministries (Foreign Affairs, Defense, Justice)coreWO=MEN collaborates with four Dutch ministries on NAP 1325 implementation, coordinating between 60+ civil society partners and government.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
WO=MEN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF): Dutch-headquartered international network on gender, climate, and sustainable development; member organization of WO=MEN and partner on SB64 Bonn climate negotiations. Directly comparable in operating model, geography, and gender/climate thematic overlap.
- Rutgers: Dutch center of expertise on sexual and reproductive health and rights, integrated in WO=MEN's network of Dutch gender/development NGOs. Comparable as a Dutch-anchored, internationally active gender-and-rights NGO with similar funding model and policy engagement.
- Partos: Dutch association for the international development sector; WO=MEN is a member and adheres to its Code of Conduct. Closely comparable as a Dutch membership-based coalition providing sector coordination, advocacy, and standards for member NGOs.
- Plan International Netherlands: Dutch office of Plan International, a global children's and girls' rights NGO; member of WO=MEN's network. Comparable as an internationally active women's/girls' rights NGO with Dutch-based operations and policy engagement.
- European Women's Lobby: Pan-European membership-based advocacy coalition coordinating women's rights NGOs across EU member states. Directly comparable to WO=MEN in model: member-network governance, policy advocacy at EU level, and convening of civil society for gender equality.
- AWID (Association for Women's Rights in Development): International membership-based association serving feminist movements and women's rights organizations, with similar member-driven advocacy, knowledge resources, and global convening functions. WO=MEN participates in networks where AWID operates as a global counterpart.
Broad incumbents
- Cordaid: Large Dutch development and humanitarian organization; founding member of WO=MEN in 2006 and co-organizer of the Feminist Foreign Policy Community Festival. Comparable as a Dutch-based, internationally active development NGO, though broader in mandate beyond gender.
- Hivos: Large Dutch international development organization and founding member of WO=MEN; co-host of Feminist Foreign Policy Community Festival. Comparable as a Dutch-anchored NGO with gender, climate, and rights programming, though larger and broader in scope.
- UN Women: United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment with ECOSOC framework authority. Operates in the same thematic space as WO=MEN at much larger scale, setting international norms (Beijing Platform, WPS agenda) that WO=MEN helps implement locally.
Regional players
- COC Netherlands: Dutch membership-based advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ rights, also anchored in The Hague. Comparable as a Dutch platform-style advocacy coalition, though focused on a different rights domain with overlapping convening and policy-influencing model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WO=MEN social profiles
Digital presenceWO=MEN compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
WO=MEN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WO=MEN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
WO=MEN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WO=MEN M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WO=MEN
What does WO=MEN do?
WO=MEN is a Dutch non-profit membership platform that coordinates a network of approximately 56 organizations and 150 individual professionals advocating for gender equality, women's rights, and inclusive policies. It delivers its offering through thematic working groups (Gender and Sustainable Economy, Political Lobby, Gender Peace and Security), advocacy programs (NAP 1325, Beijing+30, Politica, Count Me In! Consortium), a public Kennisbank knowledge database, SDG5 tools, events, and direct policy lobbying with Dutch ministries and at UN processes.
Is WO=MEN a public or private company?
WO=MEN is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WO=MEN founded?
WO=MEN was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WO=MEN based?
WO=MEN is headquartered in Den Haag, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does WO=MEN make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and government and institutional funding.
Who are WO=MEN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), Rutgers, Partos, Plan International Netherlands, European Women's Lobby and AWID (Association for Women's Rights in Development). Broad incumbents are Cordaid, Hivos and UN Women. COC Netherlands is listed as a regional player.
Does WO=MEN have an API?
No public API is recorded for WO=MEN.