Good Practice - Project
Women into Politics bridging gender gaps in local leadership in rural Germany
A local action programme strengthening women’s participation in local politics by combining mentoring, regional action plans and structural reforms.
Summary
The local action programme Women into Politics (de: Frauen in die Politik) tackled gender inequalities in local political leadership in Germany, with a strong focus on rural contexts. Addressing structural, cultural and personal barriers, such as party nomination processes, gender stereotypes, work-family balance and hostility towards women in politics, the initiative combined individual empowerment with systemic change.
Results
- More than 260 women participated in the programme’s mentoring scheme, 70% of whom were not affiliated with political parties.
- Around two-thirds of participants ran for office or intended to do so, indicating increased political engagement, including previously underrepresented groups.
- Structural changes were initiated in several regions, including the introduction of codes of conduct and, in one state parliament, a speaking-time app was implemented to support more inclusive procedures.
- The initiative strengthened networks and fostered more inclusive local governance, contributing to cultural and structural change longer term.
Promoter
- EAF Berlin (lead organisation), civil society organisation
- German Association of Rural Women, civil society organisation
Funding
Sources: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
Resources
Documents
Context
Women into Politics was implemented in 20 rural regions across Germany characterised by dispersed populations, long distances, limited public transport, and often more traditional gender roles. In these contexts, women are significantly underrepresented in local political decision-making. Key challenges include male-dominated political networks, limited entry points into politics, and significant time constraints due to unpaid care responsibilities.
The programme addressed these challenges through a place-based, participatory approach, where local stakeholders worked for 1.5 years to identify barriers and co-create tailored action plans.
Objectives
- Increase women’s participation in local political processes by reducing structural and cultural barriers;
- Foster locally driven solutions by to identify region-specific challenges;
- Support the development and implementation of tailored regional action plans responding to rural needs and constraints;
- Provide targeted financial support to enable concrete;
- Strengthen mentoring, networking and capacity-building opportunities.
Activities, key actors, and timeline
The programme was implemented by EAF Berlin, in collaboration with the German Association of Rural Women, in two cycles through the following steps:
- Open call and selection: rural regions applied to participate; 10 regions per cycle were selected.
- Kick-off and action plan: each region established a local steering group and held a kick-off meeting led by EAF Berlin in their region.
- Local implementation: plans were implemented using dedicated funding. Actions included awareness, network-building events, and measures to improve local political conditions.
- Mentoring: regions recruited local mentors. People were matched centrally via a digital platform, based on personal and professional criteria.
- Democracy workshops: region-specific workshops were organised by the German Association of Rural Women on selected topics.
- Final event: a closing event in Berlin brought all regions participating in the cycle together.
The programme involved aspiring and active women politicians, mentors, equality officers (locally appointed or designated public officials), local decision-makers, civil society actors and local communities. A follow-up project, ‘Women.Diversity.Politics’, builds on the programme's results.
Success factors/lessons learnt
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The programme’s success was rooted in its long-term, place-based approach, with regions supported over 1.5 years, enabling sustainable change beyond one-off activities.
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A key success factor was the combination of local ownership and central expertise.
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Even modest financial support for local actions proved crucial, particularly in rural areas where equality officers often have limited or no dedicated budgets.
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Dedicated financial and human resources, ensured through the programme’s nationwide structure, enabled consistent implementation across regions.
Contacts
EAF Berlin, hempe@eaf-berlin.de, info@eaf-berlin.de, +49 30 30 87 76 00