Women in the CDU: for the compatibility of politics and family

The political business is not exactly family-friendly: appointments are often in the evenings and at weekends. This is probably why women are in the minority in parties. The CDU wants to change that and already has some ideas.

The CDU leadership usually meets on Monday morning. The disadvantage: Many who travel from far away have to leave for Berlin on Sunday. Therefore, the committees should now meet more often on Wednesdays.

“Having one day off a week for the family is good – and of course I’m very happy about it,” says Christina Stumpp. She is to be elected deputy general secretary of the CDU at the party conference in two weeks.

Party should be more family friendly

Not only because she has a small child herself, she wants to make the party more family-friendly. Because the 34-year-old is an exception: three quarters of the CDU members are men, the average age is over 60 years.

Now it should be easier to take part in meetings from the district level, for example by some connecting digitally. “Especially for mothers, family fathers, but of course also for our entrepreneurs, who are very closely involved, a hybrid format is what is up to date,” says Stumpp.

It should be clear beforehand when the meeting will end – after that no more resolutions may be made. Then it would be easier to plan for families, explains Stumpp.

And those who look after children or elderly relatives should be able to take a break from party offices. These are ideas that are unlikely to cause an uproar at the upcoming party conference.

Controversial issue of quota for women

Unlike the planned quota for women: Gitta Connemann is the head of the CDU economic wing MIT. She fears: “There is always a bit of a risk that strong women will then become quota women.”

The strongest arguments against the quota for women come from the MIT business wing of the CDU and from the Junge Union. It is planned from January. Initially, 30 percent of the top offices and list places for elections should be reserved for women. By 2025, the quota will then increase to 50 percent.

Party leader Friedrich Merz always saw the quota as the “second best solution”, but he probably did not find a better one: “I will campaign for us to accept this compromise proposal. I respect other opinions, of course, there are also good reasons for others opinions.”

That’s why the quota should only apply for a limited time – after five years, the CDU wants to check what it has achieved. Stumpp is also skeptical about a quota, saying it can only be a building block. It is more important to appeal more to young people and women.

The “best conversations” on the playground

During the federal election campaign, she offered talks on playgrounds: “One or the other smiled at me at first, but those were the best talks I’ve had. And with other formats, when I offer a family party or a hike for families on Saturdays and Sundays , I have completely different opportunities to get into conversation with people than at an evening event from 7:30 p.m. where the children go to bed.”

Many small steps on a long road for the CDU. Stumpp’s own example also shows how difficult it is at present to reconcile politics and family: she decided against becoming general secretary of the party. As deputy she hopes to have a little more time for her family.