SHARECountry Data
Netherlands (Kingdom of the Netherlands) has a Bicameral parliament with the use of voluntary party quotas. 61 of 150 (41%) seats in the Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal / House of Representatives are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Bicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? No
- For the Upper House?
- For the Sub-National Level? No
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? Yes
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Feb 8, 2023
Single/Lower House
Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal / House of Representatives
| Total seats | 150 |
| Total Women | 61 |
| % Women | 41% |
| Election Year | 2021 |
| Electoral System | List PR |
| Quota Type | No legislated |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
Upper House
Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal / Senate
| Total seats | 75 |
| Total Women | 24 |
| % Women | 32% |
| Election Year | 2019 |
| Electoral System | Indirectly Elected |
| Quota Type | > |
| Election details | IPU Parline |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: | Electoral law | |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance | No data available | |
| Rank order/placement rules | No data available |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official name | Details, Quota provisions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Party | Partij van de Arbeid [PvdA] | National lists are in principle alternated between men and women, although other concerns such as age and ethnicity are also considered. Congress has the last say on the composition of lists (1987). | |
| Green Left | GroenLinks [GL] | GL has quotas for women (percentage not confirmed). |
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional Information
In addition to formal regulations on gender quotas, some parties have initiated other types of measures, such as agreements between various intra-party structures or territorial organizations on the number of women candidates to be selected for nomination. In 2004, the Christian Union adopted a resolution which called national and sub-national party boards and committees to ensure that at least one in every three candidates are women (Stockholm University & International IDEA 2009)
"The 2021 elections returned an even more fragmented House of Representatives than the previous legislature: 17 parties, up from 13 in the previous legislature, entered the 150-member House of Representatives. Only four parties took more than 15 seats." (IPU)
Sources
LEGAL SOURCES:
- Constitution of The Netherlands (rev. 2023) (Dutch version)
- Electoral Act (rev. 2023) (Dutch version)
OTHER SOURCES:
- Electoral Gender Quotas and Their Implementation in Europe, Stockholm University and International IDEA, 2009.
- Inter-Parliamentary Union [IPU] Parline - Netherlands Country Profile
Additional reading
- See the latest updates on The Netherlands on iKNOW Politics
- Oldersma, J. 2005. ‘High tides in a low country: gendering political
representation in the Netherlands’, in Lovenduski, J. et al (eds) State Feminism and Political Representation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 153-173. - Bussemaker, J., & Voet, R. (eds.). 1998. Gender, Participation and Citizenship in the Netherlands. Brookfield: Ashgate.
- Leijenaar, M. 1998. ‘Political Empowerment of Women in the Netherlands.’ Bussemaker, J. & Voet, R. (eds.). Gender, Participation and Citizenship in the Netherlands. Brookfield: Ashgate. pp. 91-107.
- Bacchi, C. L. 1996. Politics of Affirmative Actions. Women, Equality and Category Politics. London: Sage.
- Netherland Parliament website, https://www.houseofrepresentatives.nl/