Women see these hurdles on their way to politics

When asked why there are significantly fewer women in parliaments and political positions in Germany than men, the interviewed politicians named the following barriers:

1. Political meetings often take place in the evenings or on weekends, which is more difficult for women. That’s what 75 percent of the politicians surveyed said. 49 percent were of the opinion that women are less willing to make big compromises for their careers in their private life.
2. 66 percent said that the type of political discussion and argument put off many women. Public pressure and the need to be in public all the time are also a deterrent.
3. The issues that women are committed to are often viewed as less important, say 55 percent of women politicians.
4. 47 percent of women politicians believe that politics is still a male domain, which scares women off. There are also fewer female role models in politics.
5. There were too few binding rules and quotas in the parties, criticized 45 percent of those surveyed. Women would be disadvantaged in nominations for constituencies and in the allocation of places on the list.

The EAF study was carried out in collaboration with the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy and funded by the Federal Ministry of Women.

It is not only the barriers that have to be overcome in order to get into politics that are problematic. Afterwards, everyday political life itself is also difficult. 65 percent of women politicians are of the opinion that they are expected to differ from those of politicians.

Women more closely examined

43 percent are convinced that women in politics have to perform above average in order to meet the expectations placed on them. 39 percent believe that women are expected to be more willing to compromise and strive to find a balance. Women are expected more than men to specialize in “feminine” topics such as integration, family, social affairs or the environment – this is the experience made by 37 percent.

In the study, for example, an FDP politician is quoted as saying that men would be given a “leap of faith”, given their gender, they would be trusted to have the potential and competence from the outset, while women would be more closely scrutinized.

Interview partners of the SPD had repeatedly referred to the example of Andrea Nahles, one of whom said: “The woman component has always played a role because she did not behave as many in the SPD, in public, in the media, wherever Anyway, women want in politics; a bit cautious, the mediating role. She just didn’t meet that. “

In addition, 30 percent are convinced that the demands on their appearance are different or higher than those of their male colleagues. According to the study, sexual harassment also occurs in the form of undesirable and inappropriate comments, looks or touches. According to this, 40 percent of all politicians surveyed and 60 percent of all under 45 years of age were sexually harassed as part of their political activities.

Among other things, the politicians surveyed indicated that women were interrupted in discussions more often than men and that they had fewer opportunities to get interesting tasks or positions as specific negative experiences. Party colleagues withheld important information from them, and their speeches were often not taken seriously.

Finally, all respondents named several measures to sustainably increase the proportion of women in responsible positions. “In particular, the reorganization of party work in favor of a better compatibility of political work, work and family holds the large majority as promising,” says the study. 77 percent of women politicians and 68 percent of their male colleagues see it that way. Many women politicians also consider it important that women are more involved in men’s networks.

58 percent of women politicians consider binding quotas at all levels of the party to be an effective step towards more women in politics. 50 percent consider legal requirements for parity in politics to be promising.

The attitude towards the women’s quota also depends to a large extent on the party affiliation: 96 percent of the Green politicians, 94 percent of the left-wing politicians and 86 percent of the SPD politicians are in favor of women’s quotas.

Follow hostility more closely in social networks

Politicians of the Union parties are divided on this question: 46 percent are in favor of a quota, 54 percent against. FDP politicians are even more critical of quota regulations: only 30 percent of them support a quota for women, 70 percent are against it. AfD politicians are unanimous against quotas for women.

42 percent of women politicians see the stronger pursuit of hostility, for example in social networks, as a necessary means, 41 percent see intra-party guidelines for dealing with one another. Every third woman calls for the creation of internal party agencies that women can turn to when they are confronted with sexism or sexual harassment.

Allensbach managing director Renate Köcher said: “The study is representative. These are reliable statements. ”The politicians questioned often come to different assessments than the women politicians. The majority are convinced that men and women have equally good chances in their own party. Quiver prophesied: “Gender quotas will determine the discussions in the parties, but also outside.”

More: This is the case with the quota of women in federal participations