Walking the Talk aims to boost the adoption of Feminist Foreign and Development Policies and gender equality in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the European Union.
As part of this programme, DSW advocates for increased Official Development Assistance (ODA) dedicated to gender equality and the rights of women, girls and the LGBTIQ+-community. Working closely with youth advocates, DSW will champion inclusive and rights-based foreign policies that prioritise gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the Global South. Through Walking the Talk, DSW will amplify the voices of young people – especially young women and girls – and advocate for increased support to feminist and youth-led organisations driving change in their communities.
The world remains significantly off track to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of gender equality by 2030. We are witnessing a growing global backlash against SRHR, alongside increasing levels of sexual and gender-based violence and the erosion of LGBTIQ+ rights. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, women – particularly in the Global South – continue to face greater economic hardship and unemployment. At the same time, the escalating climate crisis disproportionately threatens the health, safety, and livelihoods of women and girls.
As part of the Walking the Talk consortium, DSW envisions a world where women, girls, and LGBTIQ+ persons are central to political decision-making, and where foreign policy actively works to address systemic inequalities. Yet, too often, foreign policy decisions on issues like security, global health, climate change, or trade exclude their voices and fail to reflect their realities.
In today’s context, where conservative movements increasingly undermine progress on gender equality and SRHR, it is essential to hold governments accountable for delivering on their feminist commitments. Feminist Foreign and Development Policy must go beyond rhetoric and ensure meaningful action. This includes dedicated, accessible, and long-term funding for feminist and youth-led organisations in the Global South, particularly those advancing SRHR and gender justice.
Together with our partners, DSW aims to:
The Walking the Talk programme is implemented by a consortium of international organisations, including Restless Development (UK), Hivos (Netherlands), Equipop (France), and DSW (Germany), with support from ODI Europe at the EU level. The programme is funded by the Gates Foundation and runs from August 2023 to July 2026 in total, with a budget of USD 7 million.
DSW brings to the consortium its expertise in advocacy for SRHR, youth participation, and development policy, especially within the German and EU political landscape. We work hand in hand with young advocates to push for feminist, inclusive foreign and development policies that prioritise the rights and health of women, girls, and young people in the Global South.
Our strategy is rooted in South-North co-creation: rightsholders from the Majority World will steer our agenda through their lived experiences and leadership. We take an intersectional, anti-racist approach that embraces sexual and gender diversity and challenges binary gender norms.
We will create inclusive platforms to bring together feminists from the Global South and North to co-develop advocacy strategies aimed at influencing decision-makers in Europe.
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