43 percent of managers are female in federal agencies

Ministries, Chancellery, Office of the Federal President: There are still fewer women than men in leadership positions in the highest federal authorities. But their share is increasing, albeit slowly. Too slow, says Minister Paus.

In June 2023, 43 percent of the leadership positions in the highest federal authorities were held by women. That’s an increase of two percentage points compared to last year, according to the annual report Equality Index emerges.

Bottom line: the Federal Audit Office

Federal Minister for Women Lisa Paus from the Greens said the federal government wanted to set a good example. In 17 of the 24 highest federal authorities, the proportion of women in management positions was increased compared to the previous year. Paus’ own Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has the highest proportion of women in leadership positions at 66 percent. The Federal Audit Office comes last among the 24 authorities with 33 percent.

Overall, according to the index, 19 of the 24 highest federal authorities employed fewer women than men in leadership positions. For Paus, that’s not enough: “Promoting equality must be a top priority for the entire federal administration so that we can achieve the legal goal of equal participation of women in leadership positions by the end of 2025.” The federal government must achieve equality for women in leadership by the end of 2025.

Bringing more women into leadership is also a question of social justice, said the Green politician. Far too often, women do not make it into management positions because they work part-time for reasons of compatibility. “We have to start there,” said Paus.

Great potential in part-time leadership

According to the equality index, there is great potential in part-time leadership. The proportion of part-time employees among the total number of employees in the highest federal authorities is 18 percent, and the proportion of women among part-time employees is 80 percent.

The reality is still, according to Paus: the higher the management level, the lower the proportion of part-time employees. The federal government is therefore committed to more part-time leadership and shared leadership in the public service. In the summer, Paus wants to use the results to “present a guideline on how part-time leadership can be more successful.”

The equality index has been measuring progress annually since the first law for more women in management positions came into force in 2015. Since then, a ten percentage point increase has been recorded. The index is based on the approximately 34,000 employees in government departments. The highest federal authorities include the ministries, the Chancellery or the Office of the Federal President.

Female politicians for first Federal President

There is a new initiative for this authority of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier shortly before International Women’s Day on March 8th: Politicians from the SPD, CDU, Greens and FDP advocate in the Tagesspiegel for Germany to have a female federal president for the first time. That would be “an encouragement for many women in Germany and beyond,” said Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer. Minister Paus would also “very much welcome” a candidate for the highest office.

CDU deputy leader Karin Prien says: “We live in a time in which a level-headed woman in Bellevue Palace could bring people together, put what unites them above what divides them and at the same time unequivocally stand by the values ​​of our society.” For Schleswig-Holstein’s education minister, a man who “has these typically feminine characteristics” would also be a good head of state. Steinmeier’s second and final term in office ends normally in 2027.