Expert Forum: More Room for Diversity – How to Succeed in Local Political Participation

There are many reasons why local politics has yet to reflect the diversity of our society. But what does local government look like when everyone truly feels welcome and empowered to participate? What does it take to ensure that diversity is not just lip service, but something actively shaped? The "More Room for Diversity" symposium on June 25, 2025, will provide answers to these questions, featuring a keynote by Dr. Chripa Schneller. The opening remarks will be delivered by Katharina Jestaedt, Head of the Equality Department at the Federal Ministry for Education, Family, Seniors, Women and Youth.

In addition, EAF Berlin will present its brochure, "More Room for Diversity – How to Succeed in Local Political Participation." It offers practical ideas, suggested actions, and proven approaches, but above all, it answers the question: How do we create spaces that do not hinder people from participating in politics, but instead empower them to help shape it?

These digital symposiums provide inspiration, discuss necessary actions, and make examples of best practices and current studies accessible to a broad public. They are specifically designed to strengthen the local impact of local politicians, multipliers such as equal opportunity officers, and other key stakeholders and interested parties.

Registration & Participation

Date: June 25, 2025, 7:30 PM
Location: Zoom, Online
Register at:
https://frauen-vielfalt-politik.de/veranstaltung/fachforum-mehr-raum-fuer-vielfalt/

Further information on the symposium: More Room for Diversity - How to Succeed in Local Political Participation in the program flyer.

The Speakers

Dr. Chripa Schneller is an expert in diversity, anti-discrimination, and empowerment. She works as a consultant, trainer, and speaker with NGOs, universities, start-ups, and other organizations that are already committed to these areas and want to reach their full potential. Her professional background includes positions at UNESCO, the Academic Cooperation Association (the umbrella organization for the DAAD and others in Brussels), and serving as the director of a nationwide anti-discrimination organization. She also lectures on intersectional theory at various universities. She is the founder and director of the Institute for Diversity Competence (IDC), which combines anti-discrimination work with artificial intelligence.

Sarah Robinson (she/her) is a Senior Expert for gender-equitable policy at EAF Berlin. Since 2025, she has been responsible for country reports on gender-based violence against female politicians as part of the EU project Recognize, Resist, Rise Up (3R). In the Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik project, she supports experienced multipliers in networking. Previously, Sarah Robinson advised model regions in the action program Kommune – Frauen in die Politik! on how to sustainably increase the proportion of women in local politics and dismantle structural barriers. Alongside knowledge management, her work consistently focuses on improving the framework conditions for political engagement and sharing best practices.

Leonie Schütte-Silverio (she/her) is an expert in Gender and Diversity in Politics at EAF Berlin. She works on the projects Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik. and the alliance "Gemeinsam gegen Sexismus" (Together Against Sexism). Her focus in both projects is on combating sexism and empowering women in all their diversity. With the We Belong network, she has developed a safer space to empower and connect politically active women with migration backgrounds and/or BIWoC, helping to increase their visibility. Leonie Schütte-Silverio places great importance on considering structures and processes from an intersectional perspective, ensuring that marginalized individuals and their viewpoints are brought to the forefront and can more firmly claim their place in Germany's political landscape.