Grumbach's mayor demands more women in local politics

Grumbach's mayor demands more women in local politics

Beatrice Michel, 41 years old, took up her position as mayor in Grumbach last summer. She is married and mother of three children. As a bank business economist, she combines the challenges of work, family and volunteering. Your conclusion? She succeeds in a large extent, but she observes a significant excessive demand from many mothers in similar positions that long for a better balance between professional and family requirements.

Michel receives a lot of encouragement in male -dominated local politics, not only from counterparts within the community, but also beyond. It is particularly important to her that gender in this sphere should not be decisive. "Social and professional competence are indispensable," she emphasizes. The call to the stronger inclusion of women is relevant because they can represent important social roles-especially in children's education and care work-and thus bring valuable perspectives into politics.

challenges of compatibility

According to a current survey, the topic of compatibility of family and work is omnipresent. Many mothers express the desire for more time for themselves and better conditions to manage the requirements of work and family. The biggest stress factor is a lack of time, which is also related to the frequent avoidance of breaks. In the survey, almost all respondents expressed the desire for more flexibility in daily planning. Simple individual solutions for compatibility could be, for example, responsible part -time jobs with opportunities for advancement.

Another important aspect is the needs -based childcare, which should be increasingly tailored to the needs of parents. Barriers such as inadequate daycare opening times and the lack of understanding employers make it difficult to combine responsibility at work and at home. The new family concept, which recognizes diverse family models, could also contribute to improvement.

The role of the sexes

Gender -specific inequality in compatibility is further reinforced by the Gender Care GAP. Mothers do the majority of the house and care, even if they are working. While 61% of mothers are employed, 84% of fathers work. Mothers spend an average of 40 hours a week with childcare and housework, fathers only 22 hours. These differences also have an impact on income and promotion opportunities- mothers usually have less chances of a management position than their male colleagues, and a loss of wage due to motherhood, about 16% per child.

Another alarming point is the future development: in 2015, the proportion of women on supervisory boards was only 26%. Despite the Füpog (law to promote equal participation), many companies are far from the objective of equality. However, digital change also has the chance to create new compatibility solutions. Innovative working time models could help to improve parents' reality of life.

Beatrice Michel wants a future in which the number of women in management positions is increasing significantly. Access to these positions should not be denied. Your positive view of the challenges of local politics paired with the courage to actively demand changes could be an inspiring example for many.