The focus on women's rights: Leverkusen network celebrates the World Women's Day!

The focus on women's rights: Leverkusen network celebrates the World Women's Day!

On March 8, 2025, representatives of the network of equality and diversity officers in Leverkusen gathered in order to set a clear sign of women's rights and gender equality. On the occasion of World Women's Day, which has been recognized by the United Nations as an international Women's Day since 1975, a common photo was taken that demonstrates the unity against discrimination and inequalities. The day not only serves to celebrate the progress of the women's rights movement, but also the haunting call to change.

The network consists of equal opportunities officers of various organizations, including the housing company Leverkusen GmbH (WGL), Sparkasse Leverkusen and Bayer AG. The municipal equality office initiated the regular meetings of the local network that have been taking place since 2022. In particular, the role of the Sparkasse Leverkusen is emphasized, which actively participates in the #accelerateaction campaign for gender equality. As of December 31, 2024, this financial institution employs a total of 524 employees, of whom 295 female - which corresponds to a women's quota of 59%. Fortunately, more than every third manager at the Sparkasse is a woman.

global challenges and progress

International Women's Day had its roots in the United States in 1909 and already called for gender equality. Today the day has an important international dimension and addresses urgent concerns such as violence, discrimination and the exploitation of women. The motto of World Women's Day 2025 is "for all women and girls: rights, equivalence and empowerment", which reflects the core concerns of today's women's rights movement.

Nevertheless, the Report by BPB that progress in gender justice is described worldwide as too slow, fragile and uneven. For example, women and girls are often affected by poverty, hunger and sexual violence, while the gender Pay Gap continues to exist. In 2023, over 180,000 women and girls suffered from domestic violence in Germany, in a climate that is also characterized by an increase in women's -hostile crimes.

legislation and social relevance

According to the UN Women, there are positive developments with a total of 56 legal reforms for equality between 2019 and 2023, but in 67 out of 120 countries, laws are missing against discrimination against women. This reveals the deeply rooted structural problems that often exist. While the proportion of women in the supervisory boards of German companies is over 30 percent, the proportion of women in the board of directors of the 200 -sales companies is only 19 percent.