The UN's Call for Action: Enhancing Women's Rights in Dutch Higher Education

In a recent assessment of the Netherlands' implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), experts have highlighted significant opportunities for improvement in higher education. The report emphasizes the need for legislative reforms to bolster protections and rights for women pursuing university studies and careers. While the Netherlands boasts high female participation in tertiary education, persistent gaps in representation, support systems, and equality measures demand attention. This push comes at a pivotal moment, as Dutch universities grapple with achieving gender balance amid evolving global standards.

The CEDAW review, following a decade since the last full evaluation, urges the Dutch government to respond within two years with concrete steps. Key among these is permitting positive discrimination—or affirmative action—in admissions for selective programs where women are underrepresented. Currently, the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW) prohibits such measures, hindering efforts to diversify fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Current Landscape: Women's Representation in Dutch Universities

Dutch higher education has made strides in gender parity at entry levels. Women constitute 51.9 percent of university students and 54.6 percent of graduates, according to the latest data from the Landelijk Netwerk Vrouwelijke Hoogleraren (LNVH) Women Professors Monitor 2025. However, a classic 'leaky pipeline' emerges higher up: only 46.1 percent of PhD candidates, 47.9 percent of assistant professors, 36.6 percent of associate professors, and 29.9 percent of full professors are women as of the end of 2024.

This milestone—nearing 30 percent women full professors (1,095 women out of roughly 3,718)—marks progress from 28.7 percent in 2023. Yet, disparities persist across institutions. The Open University leads at 42.8 percent, while Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) lags at 18.6 percent, even declining slightly last year. Such variations underscore the need for targeted interventions, especially as the sector eyes a 31.2 percent target for 2025, projected at just 31.0 percent.

• Executive boards: 51.3 percent women (first time over 50 percent)
• Deans: 36.4 percent women
• Research institute directors: 36.4 percent women

Exploring careers in Dutch academia? Check out openings at higher-ed-jobs for faculty and research positions across Europe.

STEM Fields: Persistent Underrepresentation and UN Recommendations

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs exemplify the gender gap. Women remain a minority in these areas, prompting the UN to recommend intensified efforts beyond campaigns like Girls’ Day. These initiatives introduce schoolgirls to technical careers but have yet to shift enrollment significantly.

The UN specifically calls for allowing priority admission for women in selective STEM courses to achieve balance. This aligns with broader European trends, where Dutch universities rank middling in EU comparisons—27.3 percent women full professors in 2022 versus the EU-27 average of 29.7 percent.

For advice on navigating STEM careers in Europe, visit higher-ed-career-advice.

Legal Hurdles: The Case of Positive Discrimination

A prime example is Eindhoven University of Technology's Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (AE). In 2024, AE sought to reserve 30 percent of first-year spots for women, up from 20 percent, to address imbalance. The Education Inspectorate rejected it, citing the WHW ban on positive discrimination.

AE Dean Henri Werij voiced hope that new Education Minister Rianne Letschert might champion UN-backed reforms. Amending the WHW would enable universities to prioritize qualified female applicants in underrepresented programs, a step many European peers have taken successfully.

Rate your professors and share experiences at rate-my-professor to highlight gender dynamics in classrooms.

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Support Gaps: Pregnant Students and Accessibility

The UN report flags inconsistent support for pregnant students across institutions. While some universities offer flexible scheduling or childcare, others lack standardized policies, risking dropout or disadvantage. Equal provisions are essential to uphold reproductive rights in education.

Similarly, women and girls with disabilities face barriers in accessibility. Recommendations include universal design in campuses and curricula, ensuring full participation. The Netherlands' National Action Plan for inclusive higher education and research aims to foster safe environments but requires expansion.

Sexual Harassment and Campus Safety Challenges

Safety concerns loom large, with 52 percent of female university students reporting sexual harassment experiences, per recent surveys. Initiatives like Uni4Equity adopt ecological approaches to combat drivers of harassment through multidisciplinary efforts.

King Willem-Alexander discussed this with students in 2025, underscoring institutional responses. Universities must enhance reporting, training, and sanctions. LNVH reports on harassment in academia detail manifestations, factors, and solutions, advocating cultural shifts.

• Confidential reporting systems
• Mandatory bystander training
• Integration into diversity plans

Pay Equity and Career Progression

Even post-PhD, women earn 171 euros less monthly than men initially, widening over time, per a 16-year Radboud University study. At Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), men earn 15 percent more on average.

Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) at institutions like Maastricht and Radboud target infrastructure, recruitment, and curricula. Yet, bottlenecks from assistant to full professor persist, demanding promotion policies leveraging the 108.1 percent female replacement potential from associates.

University Initiatives and National Efforts

Many Dutch universities have GEPs meeting EU Horizon Europe criteria, covering recruitment, career progression, and work-life balance. EUR aims for 40 percent women professors in five years (currently 26.7 percent). Leiden reports 34.2 percent.

The government supports via the Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, but UN urges acceleration. LNVH recommends ambitious 2030 targets (sector 36.9 percent) amid budget pressures.

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Future Outlook: Pathways to Parity

Parity in full professorships is projected for 2040, but accelerated reforms could hasten this. Legalizing positive action, standardizing supports, and combating harassment will empower women. Stakeholders—from students to policymakers—must collaborate.

For those eyeing Dutch academia, resources abound. Internal links: university-jobs, higher-ed-jobs/faculty, higher-ed-jobs/postdoc, rate-my-professor, higher-ed-career-advice.

The Netherlands stands poised to lead Europe in gender-equitable higher education, honoring UN calls while advancing innovation.