Anniversary - Rural women's association misses respect in politics
The President of the German Women's Association, Petra Behrmann, lamented the current culture of conflict in politics, which she sees as a "destructive strategy." She couldn't understand why the result of the European election in June didn't lead democratic parties to work together to save democracy, she said at a press conference for the Women's Day in Kiel. Of course politics is competition and it needs to be debated, but respectfully and with each other, "everyone steps on each other's toes," criticized Behrmann. She missed mutual respect.
According to the Chief Executive Officer Daniela Ruhe, rural women's associations - which represent the interests of women in the countryside - are learning places for democracy. In the associations, things are negotiated, democratically discussed and voted on. This leads to the fact that one has to endure and share the majority opinion.
Cem Özdemir calls on parties to solve problems
Bundesminister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) also addressed the cross-party cooperation in solving problems in his speech. The motto should be "first comes the country, then for a long time nothing, then comes the party and finally the person - and not the other way around," demanded the Federal Minister.
At the same time, he thanked the Women's Association for "not seeking salvation in radicalization," but for looking for good compromises. It will still take some time before it can be said that women in agriculture have the same chances - but the Association has "set the ball rolling."
Jubilee of the Women - Greetings from the Federal President
At the annual Women's Day in Kiel, the Association is celebrating its 75th anniversary under the motto "75 years of Women - On Course for the Future." Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also came to the opening and wished in a speech the collective strength of women.
"Women know from centuries of life experience how important it is to come together – because they have suffered for too long under unequal treatment, under existential dependency, under poor health care and poverty and also under domestic violence, and unfortunately still do in some cases," he said.
One often has to be silent, he had to sit on the shorter end of the stick. "But together, we can achieve something," emphasized Steinmeier. Women had often taken the lead from men. Since more than a century, women on the land have been coming together to organize fair living conditions, as Steinmeier emphasized.
Minister President Welf comes up for Optimism
Minister President Daniel Welf-Herold (CDU) praised the Association for its tenacious way of giving optimism back to the country. The Germans look too skeptically into the future, said the CDU politician. "We have to roll up our sleeves and look again at what we can do well in our country and not get bogged down in the negative points."
At the same time, we must also be able to stand together with different political views for Germany, he explained. Therefore, he will advocate for the maintenance of cohesion and for people to listen to each other, respect each other, and also think about whether others might not be right as well.
- The culture of debate in politics, as lamented by Petra Behrmann, the President of the German Women's Association, is a concern shared by many associations across Europe, including those in societal hotspots like Schleswig-Holstein.
- The European elections in June have shown that democratic parties need to work together more closely, especially in the realm of agriculture, to ensure fair opportunities for women farmers.
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Federal President of Germany, highlighted the importance of mutual respect and cooperation, stating that women have historically suffered from unequal treatment and can achieve more when they unite.
- Cem Özdemir, the Federal Minister of Agriculture, emphasized the need for cross-party cooperation, praising rural women's associations for finding good compromises and setting an example for democracy in action.
- associations like the German Women's Association serve as vital learning places for democracy, teaching the art of negotiation, discussion, and shared compromises, which are essential for European elections and German society as a whole.
- The inability to work together in the European elections kept democratic parties from saving democracy, which is a stark reminder of the keel that must be kept steady for the sake of the entire European culture of debate and, ultimately, the future of democratic societies.
