- en
Female Mayors: Has 2021 been a breakthrough year in Germany?
Germany boasts an advanced infrastructure system as well as a well-functioning government and law enforcement system. It is the most populous country in the European Union and also considered to be one of the Union’s engines. As one of the world’s largest economies, it plays a significant role in international affairs. However, when it comes to the representation of women in local politics in Germany, there are plenty of things in which Germany can be considered an underachiever.
According to a study conducted by Frauen macht politik, only nine percent of mayors in Germany are women. That means that not even every tenth city in one of Europe’s most influential countries is led by a woman. Furthermore, the study also pointed out that the number of female municipal leaders has been stagnating for years, which is why it remains an important mandate for politicians and the parties to work on empowering women in the area of civil society and local politics.
This month, Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel waved farewell as chancellor with a torch-bearing parade. Known as the “World’s Most Powerful Woman,” Merkel was commonly regarded as the de facto leader of the European Union. Though the former chancellor has undoubtedly played a significant role in determining the course of European and global politics of this century, her impact on representation of women in Germany’s political life is often debated.
Without a doubt, the departure of Merkel was one of the biggest moments on Europe’s political scene. In the German capital Berlin, another historical moment has taken place in a year that is slowly coming to an end. The Social Democrats’ Franziska Giffey won regional elections in Berlin and will be the first-ever woman to lead the German capital.
Giffey’s election program mostly focussed on five key areas, also known as Berlin’s 5 Bs. These include housing and public transport, education, economy, citizen administration and security. Furthermore, the new Berlin mayor also plans to address issues of climate protection, diversity, livability and sustainable development.
“It must be in our best interests for our city to develop in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable manner. Our mission is to identify the finest path possible. For a more livable and sustainable Berlin,” Franziska Giffey stated on social media.
Giffey was born in 1978 in Frankfurt an der Oder located on the German-Polish border, about 80 kilometres east of Berlin. In a May 2021 interview with BERLINER STIMME, Giffey stated: “I am a Berliner by heart, I am proud of Berlin. For many years now, social democracy has been shaping one of the most attractive cities in the world with a lot of experience and expertise. But I still want to achieve a lot for Berlin. With the SPD Berlin I work for a city that is social and safe, innovative and climate-friendly. Before the pandemic, Berlin had the strongest economic growth of all federal states. I want to lead Berlin out of the crisis again.”
“I would like to see a positive attitude with which we shape our city. Clearly naming problems, but not complaining, but doing. Many Berliners think the same way. Thank you for that,” Giffey later stated on social media.
On the same day that Berliners witnessed a historical moment for their city, voters also went to the polls in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Manuela Schwesig took home the landslide winning 39.6% of the vote. 47-year old Schwesig has served as the state premier of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania since 2017 and is the first-ever woman to hold the office in one of Germany’s least populated states.
“This evening belongs to women. To the women who, well over a hundred years before us, ensured that we had the right to vote and that we were allowed to run as candidates. Who are still fighting today to ensure that we are democratically involved,” Schwesig stated on social media following the elections.
Women in local politics are still not well represented and most countries in the world still have a long way to go before securing gender equality at local level. Progress that has been seen in some parts of the world has been rather slow. Despite often leading the way and being a role model for many progressive practices, Germany is no exception to this trend. It remains to be seen whether positive steps we have seen this year can gain momentum and possibly reshape the country’s male dominated local politics in the future. (Photo: Dr. Franziska Giffey – Pressefoto CC BY 4.0)
