Women’s and Diversity Networks Within Dutch Political Parties: Increasingly Intersectional?

Abstract

This research note maps the current landscape of women’s and diversity networks within Dutch political parties and evaluates their role in promoting political equality. While women’s organizations have existed in most major parties since the twentieth century, recent developments toward broader diversity and intersectional formats have not been systematically documented. Drawing on organizational contacts and internal documentation, we provide an up-to-date overview of formally active networks as of January 2026. We show that progressive and centrist parties tend to institutionalize multiple networks addressing gender, ethnicity, lhbtiq+ inclusion, youth, and disability, whereas populist and far-right parties largely lack such formal structures. Building on organizational research on diversity networks, we argue that these initiatives primarily operate at the individual and group levels – supporting career development, visibility, and community building – but often have difficulty transforming organizational power structures. Diversity networks are therefore necessary and valuable instruments for inclusion, yet insufficient on their own to dismantle systemic barriers within party organizations. Further research is needed to assess their long-term institutional impact.