The Gender Equality Reports provide an empirical assessment of the status of gender equality in Germany and provide recommendations for action aimed at reducing identified inequalities. The reports advise and give impetus for gender equality policy action.
Background
According to the resolutions of the German Bundestag of 13 December 2012 (Plenary Protocol 17/214 (in German) and Document 17/8879 of 6 March 2012 (in German)) and the Bundesrat (Document 376/11 (B) of 23 September 2011 (in German)), the Federal Government submits a report on gender equality in Germany once every legislative period.
The First Gender Equality Report of the German Federal Government was published in 2011; the Second Gender Equality Report in 2017; and the Third Gender Equality Report in 2021. Whereas the First and Second Gender Equality Reports covered a wide range of topics relevant to gender equality, the Third Gender Equality Report focuses for the first time on one main topic, namely digitalisation. It answers the key question of what course needs to be set in order to shape developments in the digital economy in a way that provides equal capabilities for women and men.
Components of the Gender Equality Reports
An interdisciplinary Expert Commission writes an Expert Opinion („Gutachten“) for the Gender Equality Report, which it submits to the Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The ministry then prepares a statement on this Opinion in collaboration with the other departments of the Federal Government, which is then adopted by the Cabinet. The statement also contains a stocktaking and review of the previous Gender Equality Report. The entire Gender Equality Report thus consists of these two components – the Expert Opinion and the statement including the review. The full report is then forwarded to the German Bundestag and the Bundesrat and debated there.
Integration into political governance
Recommendations from the gender equality reports have been incorporated into the parties’ election manifestos and coalition agreements. For example, the coalition agreement of the 18th legislative period (2013–2017) adopts the life course perspective of the First Gender Equality Report. Similarly, the coalition agreement of the 20th legislative period (since 2021) incorporates recommendations for action from the Third Gender Equality Report with the Act against Digital Violence, improving the financial framework conditions for female founders in the digital sector and reforms in platform work.
The equality policy agreements of the coalition agreements are in turn implemented by the administration. One example of this is the federal government’s cross-departmental equality strategy. This was recommended in the Second Gender Equality Report and implemented on the basis of the coalition agreement for the 19th legislative period (2017–2021). The analyses of the reports are also incorporated into the gender equality strategy and support the development of gender equality policy goals and indicators.
The establishment of a foundation as a scientific advisory, service and transfer institution for gender equality policy also goes back to the Second Gender Equality Report. Today, the Federal Foundation for Gender Equality (Bundestiftung Gleichstellung) supports the implementation of gender equality policy strategies and instruments.
The gender equality reporting system is still relatively new compared to the reporting systems in other policy fields such as the Report on Older People (the 8th edition was published in 2020), the Family Report (the 9th Family Report was published in May 2021), or the Children and Youth Reports, which have already reached their 16th edition. Certain rhythms for such overview and focus reports have become firmly established in each of these fields.