DutchNews.nl - Stop funding 'anti-integration activities', VVD urges minister

Stop funding 'anti-integration activities', VVD urges minister

Tuesday 15 November 2011

The ruling VVD is calling on home affairs minister Piet Hein Donner to stop councils giving grants to organisations which offer separate swimming lessons for women or other matters 'which get in the way of integration', the Telegraaf reports on Tuesday.

VVD parliamentarian Cora van Nieuwenhuizen will urge Donner this week to stop the subsidies for single-sex activities as well as end funding for organisations which oppose homosexual rights or whose activities conflict with democracy.

For example, a refugee centre with a separate computer room for women is sending out conflicting messages about Dutch society, she said.

The MP also wants the minister to scrap funding for the ethnic minorities discussion platform LOM. LOM is involved in talks with the government and advises on policy.

LOM should be able to find its own private sector funding by doing research on demand, Van Nieuwenhuizen is quoted as saying.

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Readers' comments

Of course, this goes for all Dutch Christian and secular single sex activities as well?

By CW | November 15, 2011 8:26 AM

Separate swimming classes and women-only gyms are actually pretty common back in the US. Because some guys are just creeps and sign up for that stuff just to goggle women's goodies when they're wearing next to nothing and/or try to pick them up. But a female computer room is just weird.

By Valentijn | November 15, 2011 8:43 AM

First we should agree on a definition for Integration, before labeling it as a gender related issue only. You have 4 stages of Acculturation and integration is only one of them(Integration, Assimilation, Marginalization and Separation)and these stages are not fixied or stable they change with time... After that you need to specify the boundries of the Dutch society in broad, and at this stage I am sure that npt all the Dutch will agree on everything related to their culture... It is not about seperate swiming pools and computer rooms else it would have beed a very easy issue to tackle...

By karido | November 15, 2011 10:52 AM

I agree with the 1st part (stop subsidies for single sex activities): if you want to do a single sex activity, then pay for it. However, the scrap funding for the LOM makes no sense. The question is what is the cost of not having any (professional) advice on these matters? More bad policy and racism

By Leon | November 15, 2011 11:54 AM

I'm not really sure single sex classes are strictly 'anti-integration activities' any more than female only gyms. It is very important to learn in an environment you feel comfortable in. That is why learning is sometimes divided into 55+ or Adult or teen only programmes. It helps and stimulates some people to learn/do among people in a similar situation. There is male only naked swimming at my local pool once a week and nobody is jumping up and down calling that an 'anti-integration activity'. Surely it is better for people to get out of the house and learn to swim or use a computer than to stay trapped at home.
Live and Let Learn!

By Craig | November 15, 2011 5:27 PM

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