Opening in Bonn: Merkel praises women in science!

Opening in Bonn: Merkel praises women in science!

On September 16, 2025, a major exhibition spotlighting the achievements of women in science opened in Berlin. The event took place in the presence of Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär and former Chancellor Angela Merkel. Both speakers praised the innovative work of science photographer Gesine Born, who uses AI to make women scientists visible.

In front of several hundred guests, including numerous ministry employees, Merkel emphasized the need to communicate more strongly the successes of women in science. This is crucial in order to inspire young women to pursue scientific careers. Rector of the University of Bonn, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch, and Vice Rector for Equal Opportunities and Diversity, Prof. Dr. Irmgard Förster, also took part in the opening.

Equal opportunities in science

Vice-Rector Förster pointed out the relevance of the project for equal opportunities at the University of Bonn. The exhibition is based on an exchange between Dr. Tanja Dörre, the ministry's equal opportunities officer, and Gabriele Alonso Rodriguez, the central equal opportunities officer at the University of Bonn.

Gabriele Alonso Rodriguez presented Merkel and Bär with a freshly printed calendar for the Bonn exhibition, which shows a total of 14 portraits of women who achieved outstanding achievements at the University of Bonn but received little recognition during their time. Among them is the portrait of Amalie Kretzer, the first woman to receive a doctorate in physics from the University of Bonn.

The exhibition will be on display at the ministry's headquarters in Berlin and Bonn until mid-October 2025. The federal and state governments are actively committed to equal opportunities for women in the Joint Science Conference (GWK). Work is currently underway to implement the 2030 Professor Program, which will continue the program launched in 2008 and provide a total of 320 million euros for the 2023-2030 program phase.

Diversity and international competitiveness

The scientific organizations, such as the DFG and MPG, are required to set concrete goals for recruiting female young talent and managers. The DFG’s research-oriented equality and diversity standards play a central role. In this context, the annual statistical surveys on the proportion of women in science and research are important as they form a basis for further analysis of the structural disadvantage of women.

While women in Germany are now well-educated, their share of universities declines as they advance up the academic career ladder, a phenomenon known as the “leaky pipeline”. For example, the proportion of women is 46% among doctoral students, but falls to 29% among professors. It is therefore of great importance to take targeted measures to increase the representation of women in leadership positions. There is a current need for commitment to the structural implementation of equal opportunities.

In addition, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is committed to increasing the visibility of women in science and innovation through various initiatives. This includes the “Girls’ Day” campaign, which is intended to encourage students to pursue a career and study orientation that is free of clichés. In STEM education, the focus is also on increasing the proportion of women, which has increased from 19.5% in 1977 to 32.4% in 2022, but still falls short of targets.

Overall, a social and political effort is needed to advance equality in science and bring about sustainable change. Initiatives like BMFTR and the Equal Opportunities Growth Plan are essential steps in the right direction.