beroepsvrouw

Beroepsvrouw is a Dutch noun meaning a woman who is employed in a profession or skilled occupation. The term is formed from beroep (profession, occupation) and vrouw (woman). It is used to refer to women who practice a career or hold professional status; equivalents include “professional woman” or “woman in the workforce.”

In everyday Dutch, the more common neutral expressions are often preferred, such as “vrouw met een beroep” or “vrouwen in beroep.” The term is frequently encountered in discussions about gender equality, women's participation in the labor market, and the representation of women in professional fields.

Historically, Dutch has used gendered occupational nouns, but modern language tends toward gender-neutral phrasing. Nevertheless, “beroepsvrouw” remains in use, particularly in formal or organizational contexts such as professional associations, media, and policy documents. The plural form is “beroepsvrouwen.”

The term is not a formal title; rather, it denotes the social category of women who have a profession or engage in skilled labor. In Belgium and the Netherlands, it is understood within standard Dutch. Because language norms evolve, some contexts prefer neutral constructions like “professioneel werkende vrouw” or simply “vrouwen in beroep.”