Strong women

We are offering you the unique opportunity to benefit from the experiences and successes of committed women and men. Whether it is Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist Nadia Murad, theatre director Pınar Karabulut, entrepreneur, investor and author Tijen Onaran or Integration Commissioner Reem Alabali-Radovan, they show what is possible as part of the deutschland.de Women Shaping Our Future campaign.

Role models

Carolin Karnuth als Claire Waldoff in der Instagram-Serie des @goetheinstitut

Strong women

International Women’s Day

Berlin icon of the queer scene

By refusing to conform, she really shook up the Berlin of the 1920s: Meet the singer Claire Waldoff on the Goethe-Institut’s Instagram channel.

Friederike Otto – Klimaforscherin in London.

The weather detective

Understanding climate change and reducing inequality – Friederike Otto explains to the world how extreme weather events come about.

Iris Braun möchte ein Vorbild für Sozialunternehmertum sein.

Successful, innovative, female

They want their ideas to revolutionise the business world: we present five female entrepreneurs from Germany.

Vincent-Immanuel Herr und Martin Speer mobilisieren Männer für Feminismus.

Feminism from a male perspective

Two HeforShe ambassadors for UN Women explain how men can be part of the solution in the battle for gender equality.

Pınar Karabulut engagiert sich für Vielfalt am Theater.

Diversity in the theatre

Theatre director Pınar Karabulut explains why the cultural sector needs to become more female and more diverse, and how this can be achieved.

Für buntere Startups: Unternehmerin Tijen Onaran

Empowering women in business

She brings diversity to the German business founders’ scene: Tijen Onaran is entrepreneur, investor and author.

“These issues have accompanied me all my life”

Immigration as a responsibility of government – Integration Commissioner Reem Alabali-Radovan discusses challenges and experiences.

The future of foreign policy

The feminist and activist Kristina Lunz wants to rethink foreign policy with a view to making the world a more feminist, fairer and safer place.

Empowering women worldwide

Sawsan-Chebli-Gleichberechtigung-Frauentag

Raising questions

Facts and figures

Women in Germany

The women’s employment rate, the gender pay gap, women’s quotas, life expectancy and representation in government – discover everything you need to know about women in Germany. Here are three facts to start you off: they constitute the majority of the population, live longer than men – and are more highly educated.

Quick facts

42 million women live in Germany – one million more than men

83.4 years is the life expectancy of women in Germany.

76.6 percent of women aged between 20 and 64 work.

50 percent of university graduates in Germany are female

50 percent of the members of Germany’s government cabinet are women.

1.53 children is the statistical average for women in Germany.

Wie viele Frauen leben, arbeiten und regieren in Deutschland?

How women live and work in Germany

Commitment

Working for greater equality

Together with Alice Schwarzer, probably the best known feminist in Germany, we are looking for answers to the following questions: where does Germany stand when it comes to emancipation? What does feminism mean today? Is the COVID-19 crisis again taking us back to a more traditional distribution of roles and duties – or could the crisis be an opportunity?

Alice Schwarzer, Deutschlands bekannteste Frauenrechtlerin

“Women must become more demanding”

Alice Schwarzer is the face of German feminism. In our interview she talks about equality, corona and Instagram.

In addition to answers, however, gender equality also needs commitment. These men and women campaign for greater equality in Germany.

Junge Politikerinnen möchte Frauen in der Politik fördern.

Young women shape politics

Standing up for equal rights

Robert Franken fordert mehr männliche Solidarität mit Frauen.

“Radical solidarity from men”

How feminist do men need to be? Robert Franken, co-founder of the “Male Feminists Europe” platform, explains.

Teamarbeit im Labor: Es geht nur gemeinsam.

Working together for equality

Here you can find out who actively supports equal opportunity for women in German research.

Gabriele Wenner, Leiterin des Frankfurter Frauenreferats

“300 years until we achieve genuine equality”

Women and men are often treated unequally at work. We discussed the subject with an equal opportunities officer.

Aminata Belli: die Stimme erheben gegen Alltagsrassismus

Active against racism

Presenting three women who are involved in politics and society against discrimination.

Women’s rights

Empowering women worldwide

Germany supports projects worldwide that involve women in peace processes, strengthen their rights, build links between them and enable equality between women and men.

Protecting the human rights of women and realising their legal, economic and cultural equality are major tasks of German foreign policy. Germany campaigns to maintain and strengthen women’s rights not only by bilateral means but also within the framework of international organisations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

2020 eröffnete Sibel Kekilli das Casa Respeita as Mina.

A colourful house for women

Fighting violence against women: The actress Sibel Kekilli is an international champion of women’s rights.

Frauen sollen an Friedensprozessen beteiligt werden.

Women as mediators

Women for peace

Successful women

Women in politics, business and research

Women are increasingly assuming leadership positions in German politics, business and research. More women are working, the proportion of women on supervisory boards has risen, the number of women in STEM and tech fields has increased and parents are better able to reconcile having a family and a career, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. We introduce you to outstanding female researchers, politicians and entrepreneurs who have led by example.