Netherlands Faces Growing Gender Gap in Technology Despite Rise in Female IT Entrepreneurs
Netherlands, Monday, 9 March 2026.
While female IT entrepreneurs in the Netherlands increased by 45% since 2013, the gender gap actually widened as male entrepreneurs grew even faster at 49%. Women now represent only 9.48% of IT entrepreneurs, down from 9.68% in 2013, with the gap expanding from 20,000 to over 30,000 entrepreneurs.
International Women’s Day Highlights Persistent Challenges
The concerning statistics emerged prominently during International Women’s Day celebrations on March 8, 2026, when six prominent female technology leaders drew attention to the sector’s persistent gender imbalance [1]. The Chamber of Commerce (KVK) data reveals that between 2013 and 2026, female IT entrepreneurs increased to 3,556, representing a 45 percent growth, while male counterparts expanded by 49 percent during the same period [3]. This disparity has resulted in women’s representation declining from 9.68 percent to 9.48 percent of total IT entrepreneurs over the 13-year span [3]. Dagmar Lens, General Director at NLdigital, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that “diversity is not a side issue, but a source of innovation and a necessary success factor” [2].
Structural Barriers Beyond Capability Issues
The root causes of women’s underrepresentation extend far beyond technical competence, according to industry experts speaking during the International Women’s Day period. Anna Collard, senior vice president of content strategy at KnowBe4, highlighted that women leave the technology sector “not because they cannot handle the work, but often because expectations around work and care in practice are difficult to combine” [2]. This assessment aligns with broader findings from the FNV ICT salary survey, which revealed that women with children often exit the ICT sector for industries offering better working conditions [2]. The structural challenges are compounded by wage disparities, with women earning an average of 17 percent less per hour than their male colleagues, and at the HBO education level, women earn only 73 percent of what men receive [2].
Innovation Pipeline Shows Promise Despite Leadership Gaps
While entrepreneurship figures paint a concerning picture, academic progress in STEM fields demonstrates significant advancement. European Patent Office research published in 2026 shows that 41.1 percent of STEM PhD graduates in the Netherlands are now women, a substantial increase from 25.1 percent in 2000 [4]. This academic success, however, fails to translate into commercial ventures, with only 5.5 percent of technology startup founders with European patents being women, compared to 19.2 percent in Spain [4]. The “leaky pipeline” phenomenon becomes particularly evident in sector-specific data, where Dutch women excel in pharmaceuticals at 34.9 percent and biotechnology at 34.2 percent, but remain nearly invisible in mechanical engineering at just 5.7 percent [4].
Educational Institutions Drive Change Through Inclusive Practices
Dutch higher education institutions are implementing targeted strategies to address these disparities, with HBO-i leading initiatives to promote gender diversity in technology education. Hogeschool Utrecht’s Institute for ICT reports that 38 percent of their workforce consists of women, while noting a slight increase in female representation across HBO ICT programs [7]. The institution focuses on making female role models visible, creating inclusive learning environments, and encouraging study choices that transcend stereotypical boundaries [7]. These efforts coincide with HBO-i’s broader mission to integrate discussions about inclusive teams and work environments into their curriculum, as demonstrated during recent educational sessions at Hogeschool Rotterdam [1]. The emphasis on visibility and role models reflects industry leaders’ belief that early exposure to diverse career examples can help maintain young women’s interest in technology throughout their educational journey [1][2].