The 100 biggest Dutch companies have not, on balance, increased the number of women as top executives but do employ more women on their supervisory boards, according to new research by Management Scope magazine.

Last year, five women joined the top 100’s executive boards and five left, the survey showed. In 2011 five joined and only one resigned.

However the number of women on supervisory boards rose by 11 as three left and 14 more were taken on.

Dutch firms have agreed to try to ensure 30% of board members are female. The government’s social planning bureau SCP said in October that it is unlikely the target of 22% will be reached this year after topping 18% in 2011.

Fallen

Indeed, research published earlier this month by accountancy group Grant Thornton revealed the number of women in senior management functions in Dutch companies has fallen to 11% this year.

This means the Netherlands is only slightly above bottom-ranked Japan and United Arab Emirates, the survey showed. In Grant Thornton’s 2012 survey, 18% of senior jobs in the Netherlands were held by women.

Part-time

While Dutch women are active in industry, they ‘often deliberately opt for a part-time job which makes it difficult to reach the top,’ Grant Thornton partner Karin van Wijngaarden said at the time.

Only one in five women in the Netherlands work over 35 hours a week, a figure which has remained stable over the past 10 years.