Increase in Female Executives at Dutch Companies, But Progress Uneven

The number of women in executive roles at major Dutch companies has seen a significant rise over the past year, according to the latest Female Board Index, Nos reports. The percentage of Dutch female executives at publicly listed companies has jumped from 13 percent to nearly a third in just 12 months, marking a positive step forward for gender diversity in corporate leadership.

The Female Board Index

The Female Board Index, compiled by Professor Mijntje Lückerath-Rovers, has been tracking the gender breakdown at 82 Dutch listed companies for 18 years. Lückerath-Rovers highlighted that companies listed on the AEX, the country’s main stock exchange, have been leading the charge: “In the AEX, they’re doing much better on average. About 25 percent of executives there are women.”

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However, progress is uneven. Fifty-seven companies still don’t have any women in executive roles, and 14 new male executives were appointed last year. While there are legal quotas ensuring at least one-third female representation on supervisory boards, no such rule applies to executive positions. Still, the gender balance on supervisory boards is improving, with women now holding 47 percent of these roles.

Despite the progress that has been made in recent years, there are still challenges to achieving gender equality in executive positions in the Netherlands. While companies listed on the AEX have a higher percentage of women in executive roles compared to other exchanges, there are still over half of companies without any female representation.

One potential solution to this issue is implementing legal quotas for gender diversity on executive boards. Currently, there are quotas in place for supervisory boards, but not for executive positions. This could help to ensure that more women are given opportunities to hold top leadership roles within companies.

However, it’s important to note that increasing diversity goes beyond just meeting quotas. Companies must also focus on creating inclusive and supportive environments for women so they can thrive and reach their full potential.

More to be Done

Lückerath-Rovers points out that the slower progress in executive positions is partly due to internal promotion practices. “New executives tend to come from within the organization, so if the company isn’t diverse, the executive team won’t be either.” But she also notes that once diversity is established at the executive level, it tends to stick, with women now more often replacing other women in top roles.

State Secretary for Mariëlle Paul called the rise in female executives good news but said there’s still more to do: “Companies need to keep pushing for diversity, not because of legislation, but because it’s the right thing to do.”