Future Day in Hildesheim: Boys and girls conquer new professional fields!

Future Day in Hildesheim: Boys and girls conquer new professional fields!

On Friday, April 4, 2025, Girls' and Boys' Day took place at the University of Hildesheim, a nationwide day of action for career and study orientation. Over 150 participants, 75 girls and 75 boys, had the opportunity to get a taste of various professional fields. The event was organized by Martina Melke-Harmgardt, an employee in the Equal Opportunities Office. The aim was to break down stereotypes and provide gender-independent insights into different areas of work, which also applies to genderqueer children. Individual solutions were sought to suit all children on this day, reports the University of Hildesheim.

The day began at 8 a.m. with a welcome from Nina Wüstemann from the Equal Opportunities Office. The workshops covered a wide range of topics, including programming, chemistry, urban planning, translation and artificial intelligence (AI). The “High-Tech Easter Basket” workshop, in which the students programmed a robot arm, was particularly popular. In the “Colour and Light Chemistry” workshop, participants learned about cyanotype, and in the “A Day as a Translator” workshop, the basics of easy language and how to adapt texts to different target groups were taught. Edda and Philo Schäfer, who took photos and videos, provided the accompanying media documentation.

Federal measures for equality

Girls' and Boys' Day is part of a nationwide project funded by the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This event is intended to advance gender equality, especially in professional fields where the gender ratio is less than 40 percent. As the information from the educational servers shows, this measure is intended to encourage girls to become interested in technical professions and boys to pursue social professions.

Girls' Day focuses in particular on offering girls an insight into new professional fields, while Boys' Day provides information for boys. Students in grades 5 to 10 have the opportunity to get a taste of different areas of work and explore their interests. Teaching materials to prepare for the action days and role models are available to teachers.

The status of gender equality in Germany

The goals of gender equality are anchored in the Basic Law, as Article 3, Section 2 states. However, significant differences in labor force participation and income between men and women remain a reality. According to the WSI Report 2020, women have an average of 18 percent less income than men. While 46 percent of women work part-time, the figure is only 11 percent of men. This inequality is reinforced by various factors such as the unequal distribution of care and support tasks as well as the so-called “mental load”, which describes the invisible mental work involved in organizing everyday life.

The Hans Böckler Foundation continuously examines gender differences and calls for measures to improve equality, including the expansion of child care and flexible working time models. The situation has worsened due to the corona pandemic, as many mothers have had to reduce their working hours. Equality between men and women therefore remains a central concern of society, which is supported by initiatives such as Girls' and Boys' Day.

The University of Hildesheim is taking part in this important future day for the fourth time and is actively committed to promoting gender equality in various professional fields. The children's high level of enthusiasm shows that such innovative events are important for the professional and social development of the next generation.