Equality in the Bundestag: The proportion of women will continue to decline in 2025!

Equality in the Bundestag: The proportion of women will continue to decline in 2025!

On March 8, 2025, at a matinee in Bellevue Palace on the occasion of International Women's Day, Federal President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the ongoing challenges of gender equality in Germany. The event, which invited the German Women's Council e.V., offered a platform for important discourses on progress and setbacks in equality and addressed global legal developments.

In this context, Christina Wolff, the Central Equal Opportunities Officer at the University of Potsdam and board member of the Federal Conference of Women and Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities (bukof), took part in the event. She emphasized the Federal President's invitation as an important sign of appreciation for equality and gender policies. This underlines the relevance of equality work in the higher education system. Wolff sees equality as a central theme of university development at the University of Potsdam.

Equality in the Bundestag

A central theme of Steinmeier's speech was the proportion of women in the Bundestag, which has fallen to an alarming 32.4 percent since the last election. This means that less than a third of MPs are women. This stagnation, which has existed for over 20 years, is worrying and reflects the current political landscape. The numbers are particularly impressive when you look at the distribution within the individual factions: the proportion of women in the CDU/CSU parliamentary group is 23.1 percent, while the AfD only reaches 11.8 percent.

This inadequate representation has not only social but also political consequences. The thesis of the book “Too different for power?” highlights that equality in parliament would also be beneficial for men. Fewer women in the political sphere leads to a lack of perspectives that affect all citizens.

Challenges for society as a whole

Steinmeier also expressed concern about increasing attacks on women, especially in the digital space. This comes in the context of a time when society is aiming for equality and diversity policies, but in parallel with a rise in anti-feminist tendencies. The Federal President made it clear that a gender-equal society requires continuous efforts and structural changes.

In her role at bukof, Christina Wolff emphasizes promoting the integration of gender aspects into higher education policy action. According to the Federal Foundation for Equality Such initiatives are crucial for women's political participation. Recent statistics and reports highlight the need to address existing inequalities and implement laws to promote parity in politics.

In summary, the event at Bellevue Palace not only highlights the achievements in the area of ​​equality, but also calls for vigilance in the face of existing and growing challenges. The exchange is intended to strengthen university political equality work and to exert political pressure on the relevant institutions.