men vs. women: more diversity in the labor market

Gender equality in the labor market has been a hot topic lately. Even political parties are interfering with this issue. But why is this so important to us today? And does this really bring more benefits, also for companies?

Independence for women

In Nederland we find it important that women become economically independent. The percentage of women who are economically independent, and therefore not entirely dependent on their partner's income, is approximately 48% in our country. By stimulating more diversity in the labor market, politicians hope to increase this percentage. One of the reasons that much attention is being paid to this subject is therefore to strengthen the financial position of women.

Benefits of more diversity

Another reason to tackle this 'problem' is that companies actually benefit from a more evenly distributed workforce. When women are treated equally, for example, we show that together we form better teams, that we serve customers better and that we make better decisions.

To be fair: some sectors seem typically intended for men, while in other sectors there are many more women. In many cases this division can be explained quite logically, for various reasons. Yet diversity in employees offers many advantages for every industry.

More women in senior positions

Politicians are also working hard to get more women into senior positions in companies. In fact, companies today must strive to have 30% of the boards of directors and supervisory boards made up of women. The goal is to reach this number by 2020. But whether that will work… Opinions are divided on that. In any case, this development is not progressing fast enough at the moment.

More diversity in the labor market

Diversity is, of course, about more than the division between men and women. It also concerns, for example, the distribution in age or about people with a migration background. Een difficult to discuss, but very important subject in Dutch society. If companies would only hire or assess every employee on talent, character traits and enthusiasm, we would already be taking a big step in the right direction.  

Sources:   rd.nl, dekritsichebelegger.nl, nporadio1.nl