ABSTRACT
At the start of the Dutch Open University (OU), in September 1984, a high rate of participation by female students was anticipated. Female students were an important target group for the Dutch OU because of a growing consciousness of relevance for women of both higher education and entry into the labour market. About 80" of the students at the Dutch OU are younger than 40. The trends for both women and men seem to indicate that the gap between educational level of OU participants and the Dutch population as a whole widens with age. Comparisons on participation between fulltime and parttime university or higher vocational education are difficult to make, in part because of disparities between fulltime and parttime enrolments of male and female students. The effects of the Dutch Open University on increasing the participation of women in university education have been limited in these first years of operation. Several interactive factors have had conservative effects on female participation.
