Beyond the Red Shield: Diluting DEI, Humanitarian Work and the Army of Salvation

Despite the Netherlands' secular reputation, from de-pillarization to the drop in church attendance in the 70s-80s, Christian FBOs’ humanitarian work has direct consequences on the gender and intersectional inequalities in society. This article examines SA in the Netherlands to show how its double identity as both a religious and humanitarian organization sustains patriarchal structures while escaping critical (political) scrutiny. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews, observations, and organizational documents, we highlight how symbols such as blood, the red shield, and the flag operate as boundary markers of belonging and exclusion. These symbolic repertoires embed heteronormative family values into organizational culture, ultimately reinforcing patriarchal structures and legitimizing inequalities under the guise of humanitarian care. While SA presents itself as an identity-neutral provider of aid, its practices are shaped by masculinist norms, colonial legacies, and Christian ideals that privilege male leadership and undervalue women’s labor. Official commitments to DEI remain limited, as religious identity is used to justify exemptions and avoid accountability. This analysis advances an anti-humanitarian perspective, showing how humanitarianism—far from dismantling structural inequalities—can reproduce them through religious symbolism, moral authority, and selective care.