Low proportion of women in local politics
Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, stated that harassment and bullying are major reasons why women are underrepresented in local politics. Such incidents have led many women to resign as mayors, she explained during an SPD Bundestag faction municipal conference in Berlin.
"I believe that women often react more sensitively to the question: What does that really have to do with my family?", Faeser justified her assessment. Being publicly insulted as a mayor is one thing. "But the other thing is: You're right there. Everyone knows where you live. Everyone knows where your children go to school."
Faeser deemed the underrepresentation of women in local politics alarming. "If we consider that only nine percent of all communes are led by women, then that's really underdeveloped."
She named evening events as another reason: "That's family time often. And the willingness to invest in Saturday mornings is limited in local politics." In addition, women in Germany still take on care work more frequently, taking care of children in the family or looking after dependent relatives. Furthermore, there are also male networks in local politics that facilitate men taking leadership positions.
Faeser highlighted the proportion of women in local politics being just nine percent as alarming, suggesting a need for change. This lower representation, coupled with the fact that women often have family responsibilities and face agitation in local politics, contributes to their underrepresentation in these positions.
