- do 19 november 2026
The Domestic Violence Annual Congress is the leading Dutch professional congress for professionals working on tackling domestic violence and child abuse. The thirteenth edition focuses on the role, responsibility, and leadership of men, with Jackson Katz as the international keynote speaker and a broad program for care providers, policymakers, and justice professionals.
A conference that sets a different standard
Violence against women and other violence by men are not incidents on the fringes of society. They occur within families, relationships, and extended families, but also in organizations and companies. What perpetuates them are norms, power, and silence. Silence from colleagues and managers, from fathers, brothers, sons, and friends who see, suspect, or know, but do not name it. This conference sets a different standard. It holds men, both in executive and managerial positions, directly accountable for their responsibility and for the choices they make—or fail to make.
Jackson Katz and the other speakers
The keynote speaker is Jackson Katz, an internationally recognized speaker, author, and activist in the fields of masculinity, gender, and violence. His book *MEN – Why Silence About Violence Is Not an Option* forms the substantive basis of the conference. Katz demonstrates that violence is not a women’s problem nor a problem of a few bad men, but a masculine and societal issue. He helps participants respond and make choices based on their own values. In addition to Katz, speakers including Wim Hertgers will discuss male leadership in practice, with the day chaired by Sander van Arum and Jolande ter Avest. Surrounding the conference, there are three masterclasses by Jackson Katz and other male speakers, focusing on leadership, alliance building with the women’s movement, and collaboration with policymakers and politicians.
For whom?
The congress is aimed at a broad professional audience. Professionals in municipalities and districts, including members of social district teams, neighborhood managers, policy officers, general practitioners, the Public Health Service (GGD), childcare, and education. Professionals in the judicial domain, including police, public prosecutors, lawyers, judges, Veilig Thuis, and safety houses. And care providers in a broad sense, including youth care, social shelters, women’s support services, mental health care (GGZ), and medical centers. Female leaders are also explicitly welcome.
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