Women Power Municipality

The "Frauen Macht Kommune" campaign aimed to attract more women to local politics in collaboration with local political and civil society stakeholders.

Civil society organizations—such as sports and cultural associations, clubs, and initiatives—are the most important local resource for motivating women. This was impressively demonstrated by the representative EAF Berlin study "Engagiert vor Ort" on the career paths and experiences of women in local politics. In a joint statement, major associations, including the German Rural Women's Association and church-based women's organizations, supported the campaign. At the same time, high-profile events were held in 20 "action municipalities." To kick things off, a "red carpet" was literally rolled out for women in front of the town hall in each participating municipality. The red carpet, signed by the then Minister for Family Affairs and Women, Ursula von der Leyen, traveled from municipality to municipality and became the campaign's trademark.

Other components of the campaign included action guides, promotional materials such as postcards and giveaways, and the brochure "Von Alltagsheldinnen und Lokalexpertinnen" (Of Everyday Heroines and Local Experts). The innovative "politics fair" format proved to be very successful. These events allowed parties, voter associations, and organizations to present themselves and engage in conversation with interested women.

The campaign achieved significant reach and was present in both regional and national media.