Monitor Women Professors 2009

The Monitor, a joint product of the De Beauvoir Foundation, the VSNU, the Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH) and the Social Fund for the Knowledge Sector (SoFoKleS) examines the current state of affairs regarding the percentage of women holding positions in academia and academic decision-making bodies.

Although the Netherlands still lags behind most other European countries in terms of the representation of women in high academic positions, recent years have seen a rise in the percentage of female professors, from 6% in 1998 to almost 12% in 2008. However, this percentage remains well below the Lisbon target of 25%.

The percentage of female assistant and associate professors has also been increasing. Between 2003 and 2008, the percentage of female assistant professors has risen from 24% to 31%, while the percentage of female associate professors has risen from 14% to 18%. The number of female academics has grown on all levels, both in absolute numbers and as a percentage, in comparison to their male counterparts. Despite the increase in the number of women in academia, the ratio of men to women remains disproportionate, particularly in the highest academic positions. Although more women than men obtain a university degree, the percentage of woman decreases with every rung of the academic ladder. Moreover, differences in remuneration are considerable, and women are underrepresented in university decision-making bodies.

The monitor provides insights into the bottlenecks and issues requiring special attention in order to allow and facilitate the development of more effective policies regarding the advancement of women in academic positions.

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