{"id":199971,"date":"2026-10-19T15:41:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T13:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=199971"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:41:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T13:41:47","slug":"tu-delft-mag-vrouwen-niet-voortrekken-bij-selectie-voor-opleidingen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2026\/10\/19\/tu-delft-mag-vrouwen-niet-voortrekken-bij-selectie-voor-opleidingen\/","title":{"rendered":"TU Delft may not favour women in admissions to courses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TU Delft may not reserve places specifically for women on a popular technical course for the time being. Education minister Rianne Letschert does not want to amend the law, despite advice from the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEva Gomb\u00e1r-Krishnan<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Relatively few women study for a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. The Delft University of Technology therefore approached the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights to ask whether it could reserve 30 per cent of places for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such a quota would make a direct distinction on the basis of sex. This is only permitted under certain conditions. The Institute thought it was a good idea<\/a> and advised the education minister to investigate how it could be made possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But education minister Rianne Letschert will not do so, she told de Volkskrant<\/a>. The minister fears a domino effect: there could then be endless discussions about preferential policies. The newspaper cites, for example, the shortage of men in oral health care and students with a migrant background in medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far-reaching measure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“We share TU Delft’s aim of getting more women into technology”, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science told de Volkskrant. “But the proposed preferential policy is a very far-reaching measure. The amendment would fundamentally change the system.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister wants to look at other options first. The university may therefore not introduce a quota for female students for the time being. The dean of the Delft faculty calls this ‘disappointing and sad’. “This quota is simply necessary for real change.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Study environment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The proportion of women starting the course has been around twenty per cent for years. TU Delft says that a higher proportion of women would improve the ‘study environment’: current female students regularly face prejudice and sexist jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university already tried to introduce a preferential policy for women two years ago, but was rebuked<\/a> by the Education Inspectorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t

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Een lijst met artikelen<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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