Equal opportunities officer: too few women in politics

"Little space was given to women's views and focal points. No wonder, because the underrepresentation of women is also serious in the 2025 elections," reports Monika Björklund, Equal Opportunities Officer for the city of Beckum, referring to the figures from the Federal Statistical Office:

Of the 59.2 million eligible voters, 30.6 million are women and 28.6 million are men. A total of 4,506 people stood for election, 1,422 of whom were women, a proportion of 32 per cent. As a result, 204 of the 630 seats in the Bundestag went to women. This corresponds to 32.4 per cent.

Proportion of women in the parliamentary groups

The proportion of women among MPs is 22.6 per cent for the CDU, 25 per cent for the CSU, 61.2 per cent for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, 41.7 per cent for the SPD, 56.2 per cent for Die Linke and 11.8 per cent for the AfD.

Why aren't more women standing for election?

Women in politics are often confronted with particular challenges, especially when it comes to balancing family, career and voluntary work, according to the Equal Opportunities Officer. Many women have to master a balancing act in order to harmonise their political ambitions with family obligations and professional demands.

Anti-feminism and traditional role models could make these challenges even more difficult. Women in politics are often confronted with prejudices and stereotypes.

In addition, attacks in street campaigns and cyber violence are serious problems that women in politics often experience. Such attacks can have not only physical but also psychological effects and prevent women from actively participating in politics.

Parity as a solution

Parity and a parity law are key aspects when it comes to equality between women and men in politics. The aim is to achieve balanced representation that reflects the diversity of society.

In the EU, 21 out of 28 countries have parity regulations. Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Croatia, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain have all regulated this by law. A parity law aims to promote the political co-determination of women by creating guidelines for the gender distribution in political bodies. Such laws can, for example, stipulate that women and men alternate from first to last place on party electoral lists. This should ensure that women are not only represented in politics, but also in decision-making processes.

The introduction of parity laws can be an important step towards breaking down the structural barriers that often prevent women from being successful in politics. Nevertheless, there is also resistance to such laws, often from the same circles that represent anti-feminism and traditional role models.

Local elections NRW 2025

With a view to the 2025 local elections, there could be various approaches to strengthen women in politics and increase their representation. These include equal electoral lists and quota regulations, targeted mentoring and trainee programmes as well as measures against sexism and digital violence in politics.

According to Björklund, more family-friendly structures - such as more flexible meeting times and digital participation opportunities - are also crucial to making it easier for more women to enter politics. It is equally important to actively approach potential female candidates in order to encourage them and break down existing barriers.

Municipal Equal Opportunities Officer

Municipal equal opportunities officers work in various local cooperation alliances to educate women about political work and encourage them to get involved in politics. In 2024, the NRW State Working Group of Equal Opportunities Offices developed a toolbox for measures to promote political participation.

Equality