On Friday, 6 March, we opened International Women's Day at Euronext Amsterdam by sounding the gong at 09:00 sharp. Together with UN Women Netherlands and Women in ETFs, we brought together experts, policymakers, and business leaders to reflect on the question: where do we stand on gender equality, and what do we do next?

Our progress over the past decades

The program started with a short film featuring author Suzanna Jansen (author of 'De Omwenteling - De eeuw van de vrouw'). She looked back on how the position of women in the Netherlands has developed over the past decades. We went from a time when married women were barely allowed to work, to today, where equality is widely supported. But are there really no limits left?

In the conversation that followed, Abigail Erikson (UN Women) and Merei Wagenaar (UN Global Compact Network Netherlands) fast-forwarded to the current state of gender equality. Despite policy and growing attention, progress remains slow, and women are still underrepresented in leadership positions. According to research by the Social Economic Council (SER), the number of women on executive boards in the Netherlands is only 17%, which means far too few women advance to the top.

Merei Wagenaar therefore emphasized that the Netherlands needs to move forward faster:

“The Netherlands should be progressing much faster on gender equality. It’s a bloody shame we rank so low compared to other countries.”

Global Perspectives

Journalist and bestselling author Thomas Erdbrink (of 'Onze Man in Teheran') participated in a discussion on gender roles and societal developments worldwide. He spoke about his years as a correspondent in Iran, and the courage he saw in women claiming their rights, despite the great risks posed by the strict regime that systematically oppresses women. He also touched upon the fact that women are often hit the hardest by war and political conflicts.

Equality in Law

Professor of European Law Linda Senden (Utrecht University) addressed the question of why legislation regarding gender equality often lags behind practice.

Although many laws exist to guarantee equality, inequality is often embedded in the structures of institutions themselves.

“If we want gender equality, we need to look at the ‘wires behind the walls’. These are the laws and policies that keep inequality in our institutions in place.”

According to Linda Senden, many ‘gender-neutral’ laws are actually based on the male standard. As long as we do not apply the gender lens, we will not achieve an equal society.

The Role of Companies

The day concluded with a panel discussion featuring Zita Schellekens (KLM) and Samira Rafaela (PwC). This discussion centered on the role of companies in promoting diversity and inclusion. Zita Schellekens spoke about the importance of mentorship, role models, and equal access to opportunities within organizations. She explained that for some people, the climb to the top is steeper, which is why mentorship matters. Rafaela explained that real change goes beyond policy alone, and that institutions themselves must be restructured. In order to make institutions gender inclusive, they have to be broken down, examined for biases, and rebuilt.

What You Can Do

Throughout the day, it became clear that gender equality is a shared responsibility. Governments, companies, and individuals all play a role in accelerating progress. At the end of the event, participants were therefore called upon to make personal pledges, such as supporting initiatives like Orange the World and the Women Empowerment Principles. Because ultimately, change begins with people who are willing to take action.