The Netherlands at European average with boardroom diversity

The Netherlands is in the middle bracket in Europe when it comes to the appointment of women in top positions in the business world, according to the annual Gender Diversity Index. The study tracks the progress businesses make in appointing women to the boards and supervisory boards of committees. Headquartered in Heerlen, the Dutch specialty chemicals group DSM is the most diverse of all European companies surveyed, according to the study.

Out of the 19 countries surveyed, women make up 35 percent of corporate board seats, according to the survey. At Dutch companies, 37 percent of directors and supervisors are women. About seven percent of the Dutch companies surveyed have a woman as their top boss, which is equal to the European average.

Since the beginning of this year, Dutch companies have been required to hire more women in top positions. A bill was passed last year that set a quota of women on supervisory boards of listed companies. According to the researchers, developments in other countries show that such quotas work. The top three countries that score the best in terms of diversity –– Norway, France and the U.K. –– have already set quotas.

This is the third year that European Women on Boards (EWOB) has presented the report. The study was made in collaboration with Kantar Public. It involved looking at developments in the boardrooms of the largest listed companies. The researchers note that progress is being made, but that is not going fast enough to achieve the intended target: that by 2025, at least 40 percent of top positions will be held by women.

The researchers observed that companies that set goals and commit to them score better than the European average. In addition, more and more Dutch companies are hiring women at the top.