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With Children in Politics - Good practices for balancing family, career, and local political volunteer work

15.05.2023

Local councils and town halls remain a male-dominated domain: women make up only 27.7 percent of local representatives, and only 9.5 percent of district administrators in Germany are women. More than 90 percent of town halls are led by men. Elected officials raising families are particularly underrepresented in local politics. The reasons for this are numerous, as are the solutions. The study "With Children in Politics" uses numerous examples, interviews, and profiles to show what structural changes can be initiated in municipalities to make local politics more family-friendly and, consequently, more diverse. It contains concrete steps and recommendations for action for policymakers, administrations, and associations. The study was authored by EAF Berlin and funded by the Federal Ministry for Women as part of the Helene Weber College.

Lack of flexibility in local politics

"One of the main reasons why so few women are involved in local politics is the difficulty of balancing family, career, and volunteer work," says study author and head of the Helene Weber College, Cécile Weidhofer of EAF Berlin. "The high time commitment required for the office, combined with low financial compensation, high expectations—especially for young women or those with family obligations—and family-unfriendly meeting times are just a few of the explanations." Those who do take the step often give up their mandate quickly because the additional burden associated with political engagement is barely manageable. The authors demonstrate that change is possible. The study can support municipalities, parties, and voter groups in addressing how to achieve more family-friendly policies within their own local councils, and it bundles recommendations, actions, and tips that can be implemented immediately.

Childcare, flexible meeting times, digitalization: How it can be done

For example, municipalities can establish childcare arrangements and equip buildings in a family-friendly way so that children can be brought along. In Sehnde (Lower Saxony), babysitters are matched with parents. Halle an der Saale worked with municipal daycare centers. Streamlining committee and council meetings can also make participation easier for those with family obligations. The possibilities offered by digitalization also play a significant role. Online—or more precisely, hybrid—council meetings proved their worth during the COVID-19 pandemic and must be maintained in the future to improve work-life balance. Networks of elected officials enable the exchange of experience and knowledge, strengthen their members, and support efforts to influence policy. In Münster, Hesse (Darmstadt-Dieburg district), for example, members of the general parents' council founded in 2022 have found that their opinions are seen and heard. This shows that there are opportunities for participation and influence at the local level even without holding a mandate.

Family-friendly structures can only be developed together

However, local politics will only become more family-friendly if all stakeholders work together: in addition to local elected officials, state and federal parliamentarians, parties, voter groups, local administrations, and municipal associations can and must question their own practices, set goals, and develop a modern strategy for how they can promote the balance between family, career, and local volunteer work, both internally and externally. The exchange of experience among one another also remains essential. Therefore, the study is intended to serve as a foundation: "Our findings can only be a beginning. We invite municipalities and local political actors to share their experiences and success stories with us and others," emphasizes Cécile Weidhofer. "We want to ensure that our study and the exchange of experience provide concrete assistance." Best practice examples and the experiences of role-model politicians are also continuously published on the website www.frauen-macht-politik.de.

Download the study

Weidhofer, Cécile; Walchshäusl, Dorothea; Friedrich, Sarah (2023): With Children in Politics. Good practices for balancing family, career, and local political volunteer work

Download the study

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