You’d be remiss if you didn’t know that the Countess of Wessex was in the Netherlands last week for a visit focusing on women’s rights and conflict-based sexual violence because outside of the dedicated royal watchers on social media, it was barely covered by the press.
Once again, Sophie’s vital work was ignored when it should have been given front-page coverage. After all, her voice in this community is respected and researched; her work hard-hitting; her impact measurable.
Sophie visited the International Criminal Court and carried out engagements alongside Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau—another royal whose work in this field is outspoken but at least covered—and crickets back home.
The Countess’s visit to the ICC included a discussion on the Trust Fund for Victims and how the court works to support and restore justice to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and how the court protects people and raises awareness of these issues.
“The support of the international community is of crucial importance for the ability of the International Criminal Court to carry out its vital mandate of justice and accountability,” said Judge Piotr Hofmański, President of the Court, in a statement on the ICC’s website.
Sophie was accompanied on her Dutch visit by the Ambassador to the Netherlands, lending further credence to her visit, as she shares in the UK government’s belief that women and girls across the globe are protected, according to a tweet from the official UK in the Netherlands Twitter account.
The UK in the Netherlands account said, “The Countess champions the women, peace, & security (WPS) agenda, which recognises the disproportionate impact of conflict on women & girls.”
After her visit to the ICC, the Countess attended a reception with Princess Mabel, Kitty van der Heijden, and the Mukwege Foundation to discuss survivor voices and the importance of ending conflict-related sexual violence.
According to the Royal Family’s website, Sophie “reflected on her visits to conflict environments, and the stories of the survivors she has met” and later had dinner with female entrepreneurs. The UK in the Netherlands account said that Sophie and the entrepreneurs discussed the “importance of gender equality, leading by example, and how women should always support other women.”
On the second day of her visit to the Netherlands, the Countess of Wessex visited the International Commission on Missing Persons to learn about its DNA laboratory and how it helps find people displaced by conflict, crime or disaster.
She later presented The Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards to 24 young people living in the Netherlands and concluded her visit by planting a tree in memory of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
