The Netherlands has secured the 28th position on this year's Global Gender Gap Index. According to a study conducted by the University of Amsterdam, the country has closed 77.7 percent of

the gender gap, indicating a marginal increase of 0.1 percent compared to the previous year.

While the Netherlands has seen progress in its emancipation policy over the past three years, the researchers note that advancements have stagnated in 2023. Although the country excels in education equality, ranking first globally, a significant number of women still work part-time. Furthermore, women in the Netherlands earn 13.33 percent less than their male counterparts in comparable job positions.

The representation of women in top managerial roles is also limited, with only 13.7 percent of firms in the country having female top managers, and female majority ownership being observed in just 5 percent of businesses. Additionally, women constitute only 38 percent of board members in listed companies.

Compared to its neighboring countries, the Netherlands' ranking falls behind significantly. Germany and Belgium secure places in the top 10, ranking 6th and 10th, respectively.

Iceland retains its top position on the index, having closed 91.2 percent of its gender gap, followed by Norway (87.9%), Finland (86.3%), New Zealand (85.6%), and Sweden (81.5%).

The Global Gender Gap Index, commissioned by the World Economic Forum, is an annual study that examines wage disparities between men and women across 146 countries. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.