October 29th: GEOM NL 2025 will observe the upcoming elections in The Netherlands from a distinct gender perspective
As the 29th October elections approach Gender Concerns International will be providing critical evaluations of the Dutch electoral process. The GEOM-NL 2025 aims to deepen understanding of how democratic practices intersect with gender equality. The mission will help strengthen the Dutch political landscape as well as advance broader European debates on inclusive governance.
Past missions have highlighted historic progress: in the 2021 elections, a record of 59 women were elected for the Parliament, constituting 39.3% of seats—well above the EU average of 28%. Notably, 10 of the 37 political parties were led by women, while women headed 53.6% of polling stations, reflecting advances when it comes to gender parity in the electoral administration.
Nonetheless, there was still room left for improvement. Women’s parliamentary representation remains below the 51% female population share, and key political positions such as Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister, and Finance Minister continue to be predominantly male-held. Past GEOM reports recommended legal gender quotas, alternation of male and female candidates on party lists, and targeted support for female candidates to improve representation and leadership opportunities—recommendations that remain relevant as full parity is yet to be achieved.
Building on previous missions in 2017 and 2021, the Gender Election Observation Mission Netherlands 2025 (GEOM NL 2025) aims to update the intersection between democratic processes and gender parity in the Dutch Parliament, and to monitor future changes to the electoral process that may impact female candidates in the long run.