About the Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH)

The Dutch Network of Women Professors (Landelijk Netwerk Vrouwelijke Hoogleraren – LNVH) is an expansive network of over 1,800 women professors and associate professors in the Netherlands. Together, they represent all academic disciplines and all Dutch universities.

The LNVH aims to promote and sustain equal representation of women within academia, work towards the betterment of the position of women academics from all backgrounds, and push for an inclusive, safe, and equitable academic community.

Our Goals & Activities

To achieve proportionate representation and an inclusive academic environment, LNVH focuses on three primary pillars:

Equal Representation
Increasing the proportion of women in senior academic positions (associate professors and full professors) through policy advocacy, targets, and annual monitoring.

Equal Pay & Conditions
Identifying and addressing hidden gender gaps in rewards, resources, tasks, and working conditions across Dutch universities.

Social Safety & Inclusion
Driving systemic change to foster a safe, respectful, and supportive working environment for all academics.

We actively influence national policymaking, empower individual academics through knowledge sharing, and monitor progress across the academic sector. Read more about how we do this on our Projects page.

Governance & Advisory Bodies

Board & Bureau
The LNVH is governed by a board of women professors representing various academic disciplines and universities, supported by an executive bureau based in Utrecht.

Read more about our Board & Bureau

UHD Sounding Board
To address issues specifically related to the career phase of associate professors (UHDs), the LNVH established the UHD Sounding Board. Consisting of approximately 30 to 40 associate professors from all Dutch universities, this group meets twice a year to consult with and advise the LNVH board on key policies, career progression, and systemic barriers in academia.

Read more about the UHD Sounding Board

Our History

The LNVH started as an informal peer network in the late 1990s, at a time when the proportion of women professors in the Netherlands was shockingly low (6.5% in 2001). On August 9, 2001, the LNVH was officially established as a foundation. Els Goulmy, Tineke Willemsen and Bertien Collette worked relentlessly on getting structural funding and establishing the network.

Over the past two decades, the network has grown into a key advisory and advocacy organization in Dutch higher education, contributing significantly to policy shifts, structural monitoring, and steady progress toward gender balance in academia.

The Origin of the Women Professors Monitor
The Monitor Women Professors (Monitor Vrouwelijke Hoogleraren) was initiated in 2003 following an official advisory report recommending systematic tracking of gender inequality in academia. Stichting de Beauvoir published the first editions in close collaboration with LNVH and the Dutch universities.

In 2015, Stichting de Beauvoir officially merged into the LNVH. Since then, the annual publication and management of the Monitor have been a core responsibility of the network. Today, it serves as the authoritative national benchmark for gender diversity in Dutch universities, measuring progress from PhD candidates all the way to executive boards.

Read more about the latest Monitor

Accountability, ANBI & Governance Documents

The LNVH foundation operates under clear governance structures, formal statutes, and regulations to ensure transparency and proper representation.

ANBI Status
As of early 2026, the Stichting Landelijk Netwerk Vrouwelijke Hoogleraren has been officially designated as a Public Benefit Organization (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling – ANBI). This status confirms that our activities are dedicated almost entirely to the public benefit and enables tax-deductible donations and gifts under Dutch tax law. More information can be found on our ANBI page.

Annual Reports
LNVH is committed to transparency and accountability in all its activities, operations, and financial management. Our annual reports provide a comprehensive overview of our national initiatives, policy milestones, financial statements, and structural progress achieved each year.
You can access and download all LNVH annual reports from 2006 up to the most recent edition on our dedicated archive page.
Read our Annual Reports

You can download our official governance documents below:

Statutes (Statuten)
The legal foundation of Stichting Landelijk Netwerk Vrouwelijke Hoogleraren.
Download Statutes / Statuten (NL) (PDF)

Domestic Regulations (Huishoudelijk Reglement)
The internal guidelines regarding membership, organizational structure, and operational procedures.
Read our domestic regulations (NL & EN)