Högl advocates for a greater number of women in the German military.
A law requiring 20% of women in the German military hasn't been met, with Eva Högl, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, voicing her disapproval. According to Högl, the proportion of women in the Bundeswehr remains under 14% and has barely changed for years.
In an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Högl expressed her dissatisfaction: "We cannot keep going like this." Despite being over a decade since the troops were opened up to women, women hold less than 10% of leadership roles. The women's representation in the Bundeswehr pales in comparison to the set target. Högl painted a picture of limited progress in gender equality, with a mere 47 women at the highest pay grade and no improvement in female general representation since the prior year.
Högl took aim at the lack of women in medical services, noting that despite being in operation since 1975, they still face a gender-imbalanced leadership structure. She urged for a push for parity, envisioning a shift in the future where more women lead in the military, stating, "Women in leadership positions should be the norm." Högl also highlighted the ongoing issues with sexual assault and inadequate facilities for women, such as limited access to toilets and showers.
The German Defense Ministry spokesperson acknowledged the need for more female representation, noting that the number of female soldiers has increased nearing 24,300 since the troops' door to women was opened in 2001. But it seems progress has slowed, as dive into the data shows women making up about 13% of the military. The decadal increase in female soldiers applying for service is promising, with a significant uptick to 17% in 2022. However, only 2% of leadership roles in the Defense Ministry are filled by women as compared to about 34% in the civilian sector. The percentage of female leaders outside the ministry is slightly better at 16%. Even in the medical services, a gender-inclusive sector since 1975, women fill only 46% of leadership roles.
Female officers are not immune to these disparities, as evidenced by their numbers in the military colleges. Although the General Staff Course has seen an increase in women, they remain a minority at just 15% of the students. Ultimately, Högl and the ministry both recognize the need for more progress in women's leadership roles, though they attempted to spin the slow pace of change as evidence of a genuine focus on equal opportunities within the larger Bundeswehr.
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Eva Högl, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, argued that the statistics showing less than 10% of women holding leadership roles in the German military is a cause for concern. In light of this, Högl called for a more significant increase in women's representation, aiming for parity in leadership positions within the German Armed Forces, as advocated by Eva Högl.
Source: www.ntv.de
