Mothers have been fighting grievances at work this year, mostly via Instagram. Politicians and employers should be grateful to them – and be prepared for more arguments from the other parent.
essay by
Felicitas Wilke
On November 11, 2021, Johanna Röh was bad again. She was in her third month; she suspected that she would not have an easy pregnancy and she knew: this is a problem. Johanna Röh is a freelance carpenter. It was clear to her that she had to carry out her physically demanding job until as soon as possible before the birth, despite severe and long-lasting nausea. Otherwise she would be without an income. Unlike employees, the self-employed are generally not entitled to maternity benefit in the weeks before and after the birth. On this November day, Röh wrote a post on Instagram in which she described her worries. A few months later, this turned into a petition that would take them all the way to the Bundestag.