Ms. Wirtz, less than a quarter of the councillors in the Ludwigsburg district council are women. Specifically, only 25 of the 105 members of the district council. This puts us roughly in line with the state average. In your opinion, what are the reasons for the low proportion of women?
There are many reasons for this unfair male dominance. Above all, it starts with the fact that women are less frequently asked whether they want to stand as candidates. Due to the still common gender-stereotypical division of labor, women also have less time to spend in party meetings etc. in the evenings. They are also said to have a poorer chance of being elected, firstly because they are said to be less well-known due to fewer leadership roles in their profession and voluntary work, and secondly because "typically female" professions are less prestigious on the ballot paper and people with these professions are less likely to be elected. However, this has serious consequences! There are countless examples of concerns that are more likely to arise in female and/or young life plans simply being overlooked if these people do not take part in deliberations and decisions. If we want parliaments to be a reflection of society and for decisions to take into account the concerns of all social groups, the diversity of people must also be reflected on the ballot paper - and be voted for by the people!
If a woman was thinking about entering politics and getting involved at a local level - on the local council, city council or district council - what would be the secret of her success?
Above all, it's about visibility: women have to be visible and audible so that women are asked to run for office, so that the meeting culture adapts to different lifestyles, so that their concerns are heard. One participant told me that she was not elected in the last election and that a friend called the following day: "I just read in the newspaper that you ran! If I had known, I would have gone to the polls!"
Rattling on is part of the job, I have to spread the message convincingly and motivationally every day on all possible channels: I'm running for office so that issue XY can move forward. Go to the polls and give me three votes so that together we can achieve something on XY!
What can participants expect from your digital presentation "Women do politics!"?
There are answers to the questions: If I decide to run for office, what increases my chances of being elected? What are the success factors and how can I proceed strategically? There will be an entertaining visualized input and the opportunity to exchange ideas as well as space to spin initial ideas on how I want to implement the tips for myself.
About the lecture "Women do politics!"
The interactive lecture will take place on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, from 6 to 9 pm. The online check-in via Zoom starts at 5.45 pm. Participation is free of charge. Registration via www.schiller-vhs.de (course no. 23B0607ON). The event is a campaign by the equal opportunities officers of the Ludwigsburg district and the Rems-Murr district with the support of the Schiller Adult Education Center Ludwigsburg District and the Volkshochschule Unteres Remstal e.V.
