Did Angela Merkel’s polices go far enough for Germany’s working women? It’s complicated

For a country that has just experienced sixteen years with a female head of government, the current German election campaign has been noticeable for its lack of focus on substantive gender equality issues.

In fact, the current campaign has focused, rather, on the specific personalities of the candidates themselves. The initial enthusiasm for Green Party candidate Annalena Baerbock giving way to Chancellor Merkel’s more open acceptance of the “feminist” label.

Merkel’s cautious incrementalism towards gender issues is now also reflected in a curiously bifurcated German labour market.

Read more