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| Germany | |
 Flag of Germany | |
| Population (in Mil.) | 82.3 |
 Sex Ratio (m/f)
| 0,97 |
 Life Expectancy Ratio (f/m)
| 1.07 |
 Fertility Rate
| 1.32 |
 Income Ratio (f/m)
| 0.59 |
 Literacy Ratio (f/m)
| n/a |
 Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (f/m)
| n/a |
 Women in Parliament (in %)
| 31,8 |
| SIGI Rank | - |
| More information on variables | |
Contents |
Overview
Ranked 11th in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2008, Germany's record on gender equality is mixed. While political participation of women remains high and public commitment to gender equality is evident through gender mainstreaming programmes at all levels of government, salary gaps between men and women are among the worst in Europe. While there is parity of educational attainment at secondary and tertiary level, the subject and vocation choices of women (largely in education, humanities) partially explain later salary gaps and differences in educational opportunities. The Federal Government has launched a programme encouraging women to study engineering-, technology- or science-related subjects to counter this trend.
Legislation
Gender equality is enschrined in article 3 of the 1949 Constitution. In 2001, the Federal Act on Equal Opportunities between Women and Men in the Federal Administration and in the Courts of the Federation (Gleichstellungsgesetz für die Bundesverwaltung und die Gerichte des Bundes), enforced equality in employment and labour in the public service, replacing a 1994 law, criticised for not being sufficiently binding.
Since 2000, gender mainstreaming has been implemented across all government departments as part of the Government's programme "Modern State - Modern Administration" (Moderner Staat - moderne Verwaltung). Gender mainstreaming and equality issues are the responsibility at federal level of the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend ). Each federal state (Laender) implements its own policies on gender mainstreaming.
Education
According to the 2005 research carried out by the Institute for Economic and Social Research of the Hans Böckler Foundation, educational attainment of women had improved since the early 1990s. In 1991, 11.9% of women between 25 and 29 years of age had an upper secondary leaving certificate (Abitur), giving them access to university studies. This compared with a figure of 18.5% for men of the same age. In 2004 the percentages had risen to 40.6% for women and 37.8% for men. At university level, the numbers of female and male students are approximately equal. However, the percentage of female students drops at higher degree levels. Only 39% of students with a Ph.D. qualification (Promotion) were women, while only 22.7% with a postdoctoral lecture qualification (Habilitation) were women. In terms of the choice of field of study, women are particularly prevalent in languages and cultural studies and are less likely to be represented in the sciences; women however outnumber men in medical studies.
Employment
In 2004, 59.2% of women were employed. The increase in female employment was due to the increase in the numbers of women in part-time work. A regional breakdown of the figures shows that 45% of women in western Germany work part time, but only 28% in eastern Germany. Only 20% of women with under-age children were in full-time employment in 2004.
In 2004, women working full time earned, on average, 23% less than men. This wage gap is one of the largest in Europe.
Political Empowerment
Women were granted the right to vote in 1918. Since the early 1980s quotas were established by political parties themselves to encourage greater female participation: beginning with the Green Party who introduced a quota of 50%, followed by the Social Democrats in 1988, whose constitution recommends that at least 1/3 of candidates for internal party elections be female. This has since raised to 40% in party and public elections. The Christian Democratic Party (CDU) introduced a quota of 30% in 1996, although they have not yet reached this target. The Christlich-Soziale Union (CSU, the Bavarian sister party of the CDU) and the Liberals (Freie Demokratische Partei, FDP) have so far not introduced party quotas.
Germany was ranked 18th by the Inter-Parliamentary Union of Women (IPUW) 2008 survey with women representing 32.2% of members of the lower house and 21.7% of the Senate, representing a decline on previous years. The current Chancellor, Angela Merkel, elected in 2005 is the first woman to be elected to this post.
Sources
- World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2008 [access on http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Gender%20Gap/Countries2008/index.htm]
- CEDAW, Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women Fifth periodic report of States parties: Germany (2003).
- http://www.boeckler.de/509_57643.html
- http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2006/01/feature/de0601202f.htm
- http://www.db-decision.de/CoRe/Germany.htm
- IPUW's classification table: http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm
See Also
The Women, Business and the Law
Where are laws equal for men and women? 
The Women, Business and the Law report presents indicators based on laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees. Several of these indicators draw on the Gender Law Library, a collection of over 2,000 legal provisions impacting women's economic status. This report does not seek to judge or rank countries, but to provide information to inform discussions about women’s economic rights. Covering 128 economies, Women, Business and the Law provides data covering 6 areas: accessing institutions,using property, getting a job, dealing with taxes, building credit, and going to court.Read more about the methodology.
For detailed information on Germany, please visit the Women, Business and
the Law Germany page.
