The number of women in the top levels of Dutch listed companies rose by just two last year, despite a number of initiatives to boost women executives, the NRC reports on Wednesday.

According to the annual Female Board Index, eight women were appointed to board level jobs over the past year while six left. In total, women now account for 8.1% of the country’s top boardroom jobs or 61 out of 749 functions. In 2007, when the first index was published, the figure was 5.9%.
IT company Nedap has proportionately the most women on its boards – two out of six. Ahold has four top female executives out of 13 and KPN three out of 11, the index shows.
Erasmus University researcher Mijntje Lückerath-Rovers, who compiles the index, said the economic crisis could be a reason for the slow-down.
Crisis
‘Perhaps companies are sticking with what they know because of the crisis,’ she said. ‘Maybe they do not dare to do something unusual, such as appoint a woman to the management board.’
Last year a majority of MPs was in favour of the introduction of a quota for boardrooms.
Lückerath-Rovers said she would rather companies took steps towards employing more senior women out of choice rather than being forced to do so.