All the actions of the feminist action group Dolle Mina (Mad Mina) in a row: From January 1970 to 1978. Click on the links to see the photos, posters and books!
All the actions of the feminist action group Dolle Mina (Mad Mina) in a row: From January 1970 to 1978. Click on the links to see the photos, posters and books!
January 1970
23 January 1970: First Dolle Mina action. 20 Dolle Mina's, including five men, occupied Nijenrode Castle, the training institute for managers, in protest against the fact that no women were allowed on this course.
23 January 1970: Corset burning at the statue of Wilhelmina Drucker in Amsterdam.
24 January 1970:
Dolle Mina marches on the Amsterdam city hall with a warning to the brides present there, of the slave role they have to play as housewives.
Amsterdam's men's toilets - the so-called 'curls' - are symbolically cordoned off with pink ribbons, in protest against the lack of public women's toilets.
Dolle Mina holds a campaign for more crèches on Amsterdam's Beursplein.
Call on television for a cooking strike.
29 January 1970: Disruption of a Miss election in Utrecht.
30 January 1970: Action for more crèches in Utrecht.
30 January 1970: Action for more crèches in Amsterdam: a group of working mothers protest in front of the City Hall against the new regulation for children in day-care centres, which had taken effect from 1 January.
February 1970
January-February 1970: Formation of Dolle Mina groups in Arnhem, Deventer, Maastricht, Leeuwarden, Tilburg, Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Breda, Vught and Groningen.
7 February 1970: Utrecht action among psychiatrists discussing an abortion report.
20 February 1970: Dolle Mina's working group 'Double sexual morality' distributed condoms to students at the Huishoudschool and prospective secretaries at the Schroevers training institute.
20 February 1970: Dolle Mina's occupy the editorial board of the women's magazine Margriet.
23 February 1970: Tilburg Dolle Mina's invade the council chamber where mayor and aldermen were meeting.
March 1970
March 1970: Establishment of Dolle Mina in Belgium: Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven and Brussels.
9 March 1970: Arnhem nursery action (with recordings for German television).
14 March 1970: Dolle Mina distributes the programme of principles on abortion at a meeting of gynaecologists in Utrecht. Launch of the slogan 'Boss in your own Belly'.
22 March 1970: Utrecht: action in the Hervormde Janskerk.
April 1970
3 April 1970: Dolle Mina Zaandam conducts a crèche action.
4 April 1970: In youth hostel Alteveer in Arnhem, the first Dolle Minacongres begins. Attendees formulate objectives.
15 April 1970: Dolle Mina The Hague, together with critical teachers and members of the action group 'Kabouters', takes action against overcrowded school classes.
20 April 1970: AmsterdamBoldoot action, for equal pay for women.
22 April 1970: In The Hague, Dolle Mina forces its way into the gentlemen's club De Witte, under the slogan 'Without member no member'.
25 April 1970: Dolle Mina Zwolle offers condoms to the Kampen City Council.
25 April 1970: Fifty Dolle Mina's demonstrate in the hall of the new RAI in Amsterdam, at the International Household Fair. Under the slogan "Beware of household poisoners", they hand out paper mouth guards.
29 April 1970: Jesus-Mina-action: Dolle Mina invades the Reformed synod in Lunteren where a report on divorce is being discussed.
30 April 1970: In Valkenburg, Dolle Mina's demonstrate at the 'Alles voor Eva' household fair, distributing a pamphlet with the slogan 'Even a gilded cage remains a cage'.
30 April 1970: 'Penis action' on Dam Square in Amsterdam by the Dolle Mina working group Double Sexual Morality. As a counterpart to the female nudity in the surrounding nightclubs, a papier maché penis is unveiled, which could also serve as a ladies' toilet. Pictures of male nudity are pasted over female nudity and condoms are handed out. One male volunteer appears willing to do a striptease.
May 1970
1 May 1970: Amsterdam action at the Municipal Labour Office for equal pay for women.
1 May 1970: Dolle Mina Utrecht takes action against unequal pay for men and women.
5 May 1970: Dolle Mina working group 'Unmarried Mothers' proclaims this day as national squatting day. They squat a building in protest against the discriminatory housing allocation for unmarried mothers.
6 May 1970: Dolle Mina Amsterdam visits the Amsterdam Vroedvrouwenschool.
10 May 1970: Dolle Mina The Hague holds the action 'Mother's Day Sweet(t) Day'.
10 May 1970: The day is declared Unmarried Mother's Day, with the slogan 'Unmarried mothers are mothers too'. Flowers are offered to women in homes for unwed mothers.
11 May 1970: Action 'Mint uit je Schooltijd', by the Dolle Mina working group Opleiding/Opvoeding, to encourage girls aged 14 and 15 who are thinking about going to work to continue their education. Discussions are held with teachers and pupils at four household schools in Amsterdam.
17 May 1970: 'Better Brem than Berm'. Dolle Mina The Hague up in arms against the construction of a traffic road right through the South Holland dune area.
23 May 1970: Action by Dolle Mina Eindhoven against dangerous children's playgrounds.
May 1970: Start of 'Broodje Mee' project, which aims to promote lunchtime meals for toddlers and primary school children.
June 1970
July 7, 1970: Action against then minister Roolvink's bill under which 35,000 domestic workers would not be granted a compulsory training day.
August 1970
26 August 1970: Amsterdam: Solidarity action with American women who organised a strike on this day.
Autumn 1970: Action against the census.
October 1970
10 October 1970: Propaganda parade in Amsterdam for the use of the contraceptive pill.
14 November 1970: Dolle Mina Amsterdam calls Sinterklaas' attention to Stimezo, the Foundation for Medically Responsible Interruption of Pregnancy, founded in 1969.
November 1970: Dolle Mina campaigns all over the country for the Stimezo abortion clinic, selling apples and proclaiming slogans about women's right to self-determination.
November 1970: Publication of the black book 'Dolle Mina Klaagt Aan' in which women tell their personal stories about abortion. All general practitioners in Amsterdam receive it. At the same time, stickers with the text 'The doctor opts, the woman disposes' are put on GP doors.
9 November 1970: Two-day information campaign 'Op de Vrouw Af', in cooperation with Man Vrouw Maatschappij, Nationale Vrouwen Beweging, NOS, Vara, women's magazine Margriet, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Seksuele Hervorming (NVSH) and Centraal Wonen. Across the country, 72 action centres were set up, where people can ask questions and sign up to take part in an action or join a working group. The action attracted many visitors, women and men, and was widely covered in the national press.
18 November 1970: Crèche demonstration in The Hague together with Man Vrouw Maatschappij and the National Women's Movement.
1971
January 1971: Signature campaign for Angela Davis, a black American activist prosecuted for murder.
January 1971: Dolle Mina celebrates its one-year anniversary. Boat trip through Amsterdam's canals accompanied by American feminist Betty Friedan in protest against the abortion policies of the government and doctors: 'Doctors keep the boat off'.
January 1971: Torchlight procession to statue Wilhelmina Drucker.
17 and 18 April 1971: Ideology Congress in Vught: discussion of radical feminism reaches a climax.
May 1971: Election of 'Mister Conscientious Objector': not to force women, on the grounds of equal rights, to do military service too, but to give men the choice to refuse.
3 August 1971: Action against Biesheuvel cabinet.
1972
15 and 16 January 1972: Formation weekend at the Volkshogeschool 'Het Witte Huis' in Borne, with the theme 'Women's freedom'.
19 February 1972: Mass demonstration for free abortion in Utrecht.
15 April 1972: Start of a covered wagon tour of the Netherlands, as an action against the proposed abortion laws. Along the way, people gave education on abortion and collected signatures.
1 May 1972: School project in a working-class neighbourhood: Action 'Meisjes Let Op' in Nijmegen.
12 May 1972: End of covered wagon ride. Letters of support are presented to MPs, minister Biesheuvel receives the log of the covered wagon ride.
12 May 1972: School project in Nijmegen labour district.
27 and 28 May 1972: National school meeting in Amsterdam. Theme: radical feminism.
9 June 1972: Start of mobile exhibition with the slide series 'Dat mens en d'r man'.
November 1972: Action against Utrecht HEMA management, which fired a pregnant woman.
1973
31 March-1 April 1973: Study weekend in Bunnik. Theme: place of Dolle Mina within feminist movement.
28 April 1973: Fourth Dolle Mina congress, held in Utrecht. Launch of 'Working Wives Plan'.
1 May 1973: Launch of 'Working Wives Plan'.
Summer 1973: Actions in support of Optilon women.
August 1973: Ombudswoman takes off.
October 1973: Establishment of Red Fist Prize, for the best children's book.
October 1973: Start of Child Illness Plan of the Working Group 'Single Parents', Amsterdam. Demands were a) a provision allowing for a number of paid days off when children are ill and b) the possibility of using family care.
1974
1974: Establishment of the Dolle Mina Publishing Foundation in The Hague.
January 1974: Amsterdam: action for release of 'the three Marys' in Portugal
28 February 1974: Amsterdam and Dordrecht: Presentation of a bunch of Judas medals to the chairman of the CNV, at the presentation of the Wilhelmina Drucker Prize by the women's magazine Libelle to five Optilon women.
24 March 1974: National discussion day in Utrecht on the question: 'Should all women work to emancipate?'
1 May 1974: Publication date of the booklet 'Rebel Girls Keep Fighting', published by the Dolle Mina publishing foundation.
16 May 1974: Nijmegen Establishment of the gender equality and Socialism Project Group at the Third World Centre.
23-25 May 1974: gender equality Weekend.
8 June 1974: Congress in Utrecht. Proposal to give priority to the Working Wives Plan is adopted.
29 July 1974: Dolle Mina's demonstrate, dressed as sperm, in front of the residence of the Papal Internuntius in The Hague, against the ban on contraceptives in the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae.
4 September 1974: Demonstration at the Binnenhofin The Hague and visit to Prime Minister Den Uyl.
30 October 1974: Abortion demonstration on the Binnenhof, in collaboration with Man Vrouw Maatschappij, in protest against the anti-abortion policy of Justice Minister van Agt (Catholic People's Party, later merged into CDA).
October-December 1974: Dordrecht: Course 'Women in this society'.
1975
1975: Action at the opening of 'the Year of the Woman' by Queen Juliana: a number of sanitary pads are rolled out, with the text 'Year of the Woman is a towel for bleeding'. At the Ridderzaal, booklets are handed out on the occasion of the event 'The Netherlands and the Year of Women'.
1976
1976: Establishment of the Clitoridectomy Working Group. Two brochures see the light of day and lectures are held.
1977
1977: A brochure on clitoridectomy is released in Amsterdam.
1978
1978: Money stamp campaign takes place in Nijmegen and Amsterdam. Slogans: 'Abortion free' and 'Woman decides'.
2025
23 January 2025: After 55 years, the Dolle Mina's raise their voices again at a protest at the foot of the Wilhelmina Drucker statue in Amsterdam.
Geographical view
In these places in the Netherlands, Dolle Mina's carried out playful actions in the 1970s to improve women's position in sanmen society. Show in Google maps
