Women

"Men and women have equal rights. The state promotes the actual implementation of equal rights of women and men and works towards the elimination of existing disadvantages." (German Basic Law, Art. 3 Para. 2)

In order to promote equal rights for men and women both in the workplace and in public life, a number of "equal opportunity laws" ("Gleichstellungsgesetze") have been implemented. These particularly apply to the civil service. Many cities have advice centres to advise and inform people on the specific support offered to women. These offices have names such as "Regionalstelle Frau und Beruf", "Frauenbüro" or "Gleichstellungsstelle". In most cities and in some companies there are commissioners to represent the interests of women. These representatives are called "Gleichstellungsbeauftragte". Some political parties also have a women’s quota to ensure that women are equally represented in decision-making positions. These quotas ensure that a certain number of places are reserved for women only.