Separated by Force: Afstandsmoeders in the Netherlands

Broadcast Amsterdam
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Between 1956 and 1984, thousands of unmarried, pregnant women in the Netherlands were forced to give their babies away. This podcast discovers this dark chapter of Dutch history by hearing the experience of the women as well as the children. Furthermore, legal experts and historians will explain the social situation during that time in order to give attention to the injustice that has been done to Dutch women and their children for decades. Please support us by listening and sharing this podcast - so the afstandsmoeders and children can finally get the justice they deserve. Producer and presented by Sarah Tekath Production partner: Stichting Broadcast Amsterdam (https://broadcastamsterdam.nl) [Photo by Molly Blackbird on Unsplash]

  1. 08/26/2021

    #18: Mensenhandel en Interlandelijk Adoptie: Ina Hut (NL)

    Net zoals discriminatie van vrouwen in Nederland en de rest van de wereld nog steeds problematisch is, zo ook het systeem van (internationale) adoptie. Bijna niemand weet dit zo goed als Ina Hut. Van 2003 tot 2009 was zij directeur van Wereldkinderen, een van de grootste adoptiebureaus van Nederland. Tijdens haar periode bij deze organisatie begon ze met onderzoek naar de achtergronden van adopties van kinderen uit China en werd ze meerdere keren onder druk gezet door het Nederlandse ministerie van Justitie om haar onderzoek onmiddellijk te stoppen, dit op straffe van het intrekken van de vergunning van Wereldkinderen7. Zij nam in 2009 als klokkenluider publiekelijk ontslag als directeur. Dit kreeg veel media-aandacht en leidde tot een Algemeen Overleg in de Tweede Kamer, waarbij de minister van Justitie zich o.a. moest verantwoorden over de intimidatie van Ina Hut. Ina Hut schreef ten behoeve van dit overleg een rapport over het systeem van interlandelijk adopties (o.a. uit China). Ina Hut is sinds 2015 directeur van het Coördinatiecentrum Mensenhandel (CoMensha en expert opinion leader in de strijd tegen mensenhandel. Website Coördinatiecentrum Mensenhandel/ Coördinatiecentrum Mensenhandel: https://www.comensha.nl/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    19 min

  2. 08/26/2021

    #17: Human Trafficking and Intercountry Adoption: Ina Hut (ENG)

    Just as discrimination against women in the Netherlands and around the world is still problematic, so can the system of (international) adoption be problematic. Hardly anyone knows this as well as Ina Hut. From 2003 till 2009 she was the Executive Director of the organisation Wereldkinderen, one of the biggest adoption agencies in the Netherlands. During her time at this organisation, she started to investigate the background of adoptions of children from China and was multiple times pressured by the Dutch ministry of justice to put her investigation to an immediate stop on pain of revoking the license of Wereldkinderen. In 2009 she resigned from her position as the Executive Director as a whistleblower which got a lot of media attention in the Netherlands and forced the minister of justice to face his responsibilities in the Tweede Kamer oft he Dutch parliament a.o. for trying to intimidate Ina Hut. For this debate she wrote a report about the system of intercountry adoptions (a.o. from China). Since 2015 is Ina Hut Executive Director of the Dutch Coördinatiecentrum against Mensenhandel (CoMensha) and expert opinion leader in the fight against human trafficking. Website Coordinationcenter against Human Trafficking/ Coördinatiecentrum tegen Mensenhandel: https://www.comensha.nl/ Special thanks for the voice-over to Martina Novak: https://www.martinan.com/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    16 min

  3. 08/26/2021

    #16: Discrimination of women in the Netherlands: Legal advisor Linde Bryk (ENG)

    In this podcast, we have learned about the discrimination of unmarried pregnant women between 1956 and 1984. Is it now safe to say that things are all good for (pregnant/unmarried) women in the Netherlands? Unfortunately, not quite. There is still a lot of work today. Legal advisor Linde Bryk of Bureau Clara Wichmann explains in this episode, why discrimination of women in the Netherlands is still an issue. Website Bureau Clara Wichmann: https://clara-wichmann.nl/ Website Juridisch Loket: https://www.juridischloket.nl/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    19 min

  4. 08/26/2021

    #15: Onderzoek als Trigger: Psycholoog Dr. Sietske Dijkstra (NL)

    Deze aflevering gaat in op de aspecten van institutioneel geweld en hertraumatisering van de afstandsmoeders en afstandskinderen in Nederland, aangezien hun reis natuurlijk niet eindigde op het moment dat ze het moeder-baby-huis hebben verlaten. Verschillende situaties in hun leven kunnen aanleiding zijn voor wat er in het verleden is gebeurd. Dr. Sietske Dijkstra is psycholoog en ze werkte tien jaar als onderzoeker bij de universiteit Utrecht, bij de afdeling vrouwenstudies, met focus op huiselijk geweld, seksueel misbruik en de langetermijngevolgen ervan. Ze is een professionele onderzoeker en docent met focus op de thema's misbruik, relationele veiligheid en trauma. 1998 richtte ze Bureau Dijkstra op waar ze onder meer onderzoek doet naar huiselijk geweld, gendergerelateerd geweld, interventie en complexe scheiding. Van 2010 tot december 2012 was ze lid van de Commissie Samson, die onderzoek deed naar seksueel misbruik in de pleegzorg en de residentiële jeugdzorg sinds 1945. Website Dr. Sietske Dijkstra: http://www.sietske-dijkstra.com/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    38 min

  5. 08/26/2021

    #14: Investigation as Trigger: Psychologist Dr. Sietske Dijkstra (ENG)

    This episode is going to focus on the aspects of institutional violence and retraumatisation of the Afstandsmoeders and Afstandskinderen in the Netherlands as – obviously – their journey did not end the moment they have left the mother-baby-homes. Several situations in their lives can be triggers of what has happened in the past. Dr. Sietske Dijkstra is a psychologist and was working at the University of Utrecht for ten years in the field of women studies, specifically domestic violence, sexual abuse and its long term consequences. She is a professional researcher with focus on the topics of violation, safety and trauma. In the year 1998, she has founded the Dijkstra Agency that researches among others domestic violence, gender-based violence and high conflict divorce. Furthermore, Sietske Dijkstra was part of the Commission Samson in the Netherlands that was investigating sexual abuse of children in residential and foster care after 1945. Website Dr. Sietske Dijkstra: http://www.sietske-dijkstra.com/ Special thanks for the voice-over to Martina Novak: https://www.martinan.com/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    32 min

  6. 08/26/2021

    #13: Forced Separation and Adoption in Ireland: Mareike Graepel, Maggie Corbett and Coldagh Malone (ENG)

    Also in Ireland women and their children were separated by force. German freelance journalist Mareike Graepel is going to explain in this episode, how the system in Ireland worked and why the catholic church had a crucial part in it. In the second part of this episode, we are going to meet Clodagh Malone who was born in the St. Patrick mother baby home in Dublin as well as Maggie Corbett who gave birth tot wo daughters in 1976 and 1978 in the Bessborough mother and baby home in Cork. *Trigger warning:* In this episode, Maggie Corbett is going to strong emotions while sharing her personal experience. Please make sure to protect yourself when listening to this episode. Facebook group Beyond Adoption by Clodagh Malone: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1401425226786665/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    1h 10m

  7. 08/26/2021

    #12: Politische Familientrennung in der DDR: Journalistin Anne Klesse und Afstandsmoeder Regina Labahn (DE)

    ‚Kinder waren in der DDR immer politisch‘. In dieser Folge sprechen Journalistin Anne Klesse und Afstandsmoeder und Aktivistin Regina Labahn über das politisch-legitimierte System in der DDR, Familie, die nicht systemtreu waren, die Kinder wegzunehmen und stattdessen in systemtreue Familien zu geben. Anne Klesse hat in 2009 für die Berliner Morgenpost zu DDR-Kindern recherchiert und hat dabei zahlreiche Betroffene interviewt. Regina Labahn war in der DDR viele Jahre im Frauenzuchthaus Hoheneck als politische Gefangene inhaftiert, während ihre Kinder in Kinderheimen blieben. Heute ist Regina Labahn Mitglied des Frauenkreises der ehemaligen Hoheneckerinnen, der sich für die Belange der ehemaligen Häftlinge und die Aufarbeitung der zweiten deutschen Diktatur einsetzt. Website Frauenkreis der ehemaligen Hoheneckerinnen: http://www.frauenkreis-hoheneckerinnen.de/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    46 min

  8. 08/26/2021

    #11: Family Separation in the GDR: Journalist Anne Klesse and Afstandsmoeder Regina Labahn (ENG)

    'Children were always political in the GDR'. In this episode, journalist Anne Klesse and Afstandsmoeder and activist Regina Labahn talk about the politically legitimized system in the GDR, families who were not loyal to the system, taking their children away and instead giving them to families loyal to the system. Anne Klesse researched GDR children for the Berliner Morgenpost in 2009 and interviewed numerous victims. Regina Labahn was imprisoned as a political prisoner in the Hoheneck women's penitentiary for many years, while her children remained in children's homes. Today Regina Labahn is a member of the women's group of the former Hoheneckerinnen, which advocates the concerns of the former prisoners and the coming to terms with the second German dictatorship. Website organisation of women previously imprisoned in Hoheneck: http://www.frauenkreis-hoheneckerinnen.de/ Special thanks for the voice-over to Martina Novak: https://www.martinan.com/ Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/ © Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam

    34 min
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Between 1956 and 1984, thousands of unmarried, pregnant women in the Netherlands were forced to give their babies away. This podcast discovers this dark chapter of Dutch history by hearing the experience of the women as well as the children. Furthermore, legal experts and historians will explain the social situation during that time in order to give attention to the injustice that has been done to Dutch women and their children for decades. Please support us by listening and sharing this podcast - so the afstandsmoeders and children can finally get the justice they deserve. Producer and presented by Sarah Tekath Production partner: Stichting Broadcast Amsterdam (https://broadcastamsterdam.nl) [Photo by Molly Blackbird on Unsplash]

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