One-third of Dutch municipalities have never had a female mayor

Of the 355 municipalities in the Netherlands, one-third have never appointed a female mayor, new research has found. 

This includes Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Groningen, Tilburg and Breda, who make up five of the ten largest cities in the Netherlands.

To make matter worse, there are still 103 municipalities that currently don’t have any female aldermen elected.

Meanwhile, Druten in Gelderland, Staphorst in Overijssel and the Brabant municipalities of Woensdrecht and Mill and Sint Hubert have never had a female councillor.

The figures, compiled by knowledge platform De Collegetafel for the trade magazine Binnenlands Bestuur paint a disappointing picture of the Netherlands and equality in positions of power.

Female mayors slowly increasing

Of the mayors in Dutch municipalities, females now make up almost one-quarter of the total. There are currently 85 serving mayors who are female — but it’s taken a long time to get to that number.

Miranda de Vries, mayor of Etten-Leur and member of the Council for Public Administration says that diversity on boards is important. Not just for gender, but also for different ages and ethnic backgrounds.

“In order to achieve that, it is sometimes necessary to make extra efforts,” she told NOS. “For example, not only to wait and see which people will apply for a position but also to actively approach some and make them believe they are suitable.”

She says that female mayors in major cities act as vital role models. “It is really important that Amsterdam, in the person of Femke Halsema, now has a female mayor for the first time in history. And that Sharon Dijksma has been appointed in Utrecht as the third woman in history. I also say it during school visits. to girls: “If I can become mayor, why not you?”

Are you surprised by the lack of female mayors in the Netherlands? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image: Gemeente Amsterdam/Supplied