Part-time princesses: between work and appreciation
When it comes to the Netherlands and employment, the Netherlands is always referred to as the “champion of part-time work”. The question is whether this is meant in a positive sense. The fact that Dutch women are dismissed as “part-time princesses” makes it abundantly clear how this is perceived.
Commentators suggest that women participate only to a limited extent in the labor market due to laziness and selfishness. But the reality is that not all work can be recorded in an official employment relationship. In a society where gender roles still prevail in the workplace, it is good to reflect on the history of part-time work, because it turns out that women then and now work hard, but are often underpaid or unpaid. Their care for children and the elderly is rarely recognized as work.
During the knowledge session, FNV for Women project leader Ilze Smit and IISG researchers Timon de Groot and Rosa Kösters will discuss the historical and contemporary impact of gender roles on policy, society, and women's labor participation.
This discussion will take place in the context of the completion of the research project Flexible labor in the Dutch polder (1950-2020).
Practical
Date 12 March 2026
Language: Dutch
Time 16:00
Location IISG, Cruquiusweg 31, Amsterdam
Entry Free admission. Please email event@iisg.nl if you would like to attend.
