Gender equality in employment is a central issue of justice and freedom. Because economic independence is one of the prerequisites for a self-determined life and for building up one’s own prosperity.
But in times of labor and skilled labor shortages, economic equality for women is also a central economic factor. We need all the talents in our country so that the socio-ecological transformation of our economy can continue to gain momentum.
Much has already happened in the past decades. Germany now has one of the highest employment rates for women in Europe: 75.2 percent. Gone are the days when women with children had to justify being employed.
Men want to be active fathers. But almost half of the women in this country work part-time: At 48.8 percent, Germany has one of the highest part-time rates in Europe. For men it is only 11.5 percent.
This is another reason why women in Germany earn less money: the gender pay gap is still 18 percent. And even with comparable qualifications, activities and employment history, women still earn seven percent less per hour than their male colleagues. This has consequences: less lifetime income, lower pensions, fewer assets.
Inadequate childcare options slow down the gainful employment of many women
It was only in mid-February that the Federal Labor Court decided that employers cannot justify differences in earnings between men and women with better negotiating skills. A remarkable judgment that gives the right impetus to the implementation of the right to “equal pay for equal work or work of equal value”. We will continue this push politically, among other things by amending the Pay Transparency Act.
We will also work to tap the untapped potential of women who would like to work more. Economic reason has long dictated this.
To put it bluntly: Self-determination means being able to freely decide whether to work full-time or part-time. If someone decides to work part-time, that’s perfectly fine. But studies and surveys show that many women want to work more.
>>Also read: Investors are demanding more women and foreigners in the management bodies of German companies
If only women with children under the age of six could work to the extent they wanted, Germany would have 840,000 more workers in one fell swoop. That would be a huge gain for our economy in times of a shortage of skilled workers. That is why the better compatibility of family, care and work for women and men is part of the federal government’s skilled labor strategy.
The care infrastructure is still a major stumbling block: The Corona period has shown how important the educational and nursing professions are. That is why we invest reliably in the support structure.
We also support entrepreneurs in using creative ideas to build a working and corporate culture that enables real equality.
The better economic equality succeeds, the greater the benefit for our economy and society. “Win-win at its best.” Close, long-term dovetailing of gender equality and economic policy is necessary. We’re working on that.
We need the workforce of women for the green transformation to succeed
The sooner couples set the course for a fair division of tasks, the better: they are also setting the course for better promotion opportunities, fewer wage losses and higher pension entitlements.
We therefore think it makes sense to give partners two weeks off after the birth of a child. Studies show that the earlier fathers take part in the care work, the more sustainably they do so.
In order to promote a partnership-based distribution of gainful employment and care work, we also remove hurdles in tax law. As the federal government, we will take a first step by abolishing tax class V.
We explicitly promote female founders by improving access to venture capital and by supporting committees that are staffed by more women. We strengthen women in medium-sized companies, in trades and in start-ups.
Because the green transformation is one thing above all: a lot of work. The solar modules have to be on the roof, the heat pump in the house, the wind turbines on the ground. We need many hands and heads to get things done.
Ensuring that women can contribute according to their talents, desires and qualifications is one of the prerequisites for the green transformation to succeed.
Mixed leadership teams are more innovative
Only quota regulations have led to the fact that the proportion of women in management positions has risen steadily in recent years. That’s a good thing: throttling out equality not only violates the law and a sense of justice. It is also an economic constraint.
Companies themselves confirm it: mixed management teams – not just made up of women and men, but generally made up of people with different backgrounds and life experiences – are more innovative. They tend to be less operationally blind – and are better able to deal with changes and crises.
Ensuring real equality in economic life is a task for society as a whole, for which we need an alliance of society, business and politics. Politicians can and must play their part, but it will not work without creative solutions from society and business.
The good news is: There are already many good examples in companies showing how men and women can balance family and professional life equally. They show how management tasks can be shared, how family-friendliness can be used to attract skilled workers and how a better work-care balance can be retained in the company.
We are convinced that the socio-ecological transformation can only be achieved with excellently trained women in Germany. Progress towards equality is therefore a matter of equity – and an important driver for the renewal of our prosperity and a locational advantage for our economy.
The authors: Robert Habeck is Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and Vice Chancellor. Lisa Paus is Federal Minister for Family Affairs.
More: The Dax has never been as feminine as it is now