Part Time And Partly Equal Gender And Work In The Netherlands

The Netherlands performs well on many measures of gender equality, but the country faces a persistent equality challenge between women and men: the high share of women in part-time jobs. Nearly 60% of women in the Dutch labour market work part-time, roughly three times the OECD average for women, and over three times the rate for Dutch men. The Netherlands’ gender gap in hours worked contributes to the gender gap in earnings, the gender gap in pensions, women’s slower progression into management roles, and the unequal division of unpaid work at home. These gaps typically widen with parenthood, as mothers often reduce hours in the labour market to take on more unpaid care work at home.