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Women in local politics: New article outlines opportunities for action

From work-life balance issues and sexism to threats: A new article by Anna Sive, Senior Expert at EAF Berlin, and EAF Chairwoman Kathrin Mahler Walther analyzes research findings from Saxony and formulates recommendations for action to increase women's political participation.

Veröffentlicht am:

18.09.2026

Scarcity of in-depth data on women's engagement in local politics in Saxony

Women are often drastically underrepresented in local politics. Until now, there has been little in-depth data on the causes and their interactions, particularly in East German states. Commissioned by the former Saxon State Ministry of Justice and for Democracy, Europe and Gender Equality (SMJusDEG), EAF Berlin surveyed 89 women active in local politics, political parties, and civil society across Saxony between October 2023 and March 2024—conducting individual interviews and focus groups across all districts and independent cities.

Between time constraints, sexism, and a harsh climate

The key findings of this study are now part of the publication series "Wissen schafft Demokratie, Volume 19: Democracy and Gender," published by the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society (IDZ) Jena.

In the article "Perspectives on Strengthening Women's Participation in Local Politics in East Germany: The Case of Saxony," Anna Sive and Kathrin Mahler Walther contextualize the results of the study "Women's Engagement in Local Politics in Saxony": Saxony is among the states with particularly low female representation in politics—the proportion of women in the state parliament is currently 27.5 percent, in city and municipal councils 22 percent, and among mayors it is as low as 12 percent.

The study also shows that the low proportion of women has many interlocking causes—from traditional gender roles and obstacles to balancing work, family, and civic engagement, to structural sexism and an increasingly harsh political climate in which women are specifically targeted by hostility and threats. Women from marginalized groups, who are currently barely represented in local politics, are particularly affected.

From these findings, the authors derive concrete recommendations for action: for more political education, strengthened gender equality structures, better institutional frameworks, and reliable protection against threats.