German perspective on voluntary gender quotas
Mon 11 April 2011
, David Knight, Der Spiegel, Leap
Germany's largest firms agreed recently to increase the tiny proportion of women in top business jobs in the country. But their promise was not enough for those who want legally mandated quotas. German commentators are divided over which approach is best, David Knight observes in Der Spiegel.
Ensuring women fill more of the top jobs in German business is a hot topic - so it's perhaps ironic that two female ministers are at odds over how to address the problem.
No one, not even the firms themselves, denies that something needs to be done to redress the balance. Women make up just 2.2 percent of members of executive boards in Germany's top 100 companies, a staggeringly small figure. But how should the country tackle the yawning gender gap?
Different views
The task of turning the tide is made harder by the fact that the issue straddles the remits of Kristina Schröder, the German minister of family affairs, senior citizens, women and youth, and her predecessor and current Labor Minister Ursula von der Leyen - especially as the two cabinet members have different views on how best to proceed.
New rules
The debate revolves around whether to legally force big business to meet quotas of women in senior positions, or whether firms should undertake a transformation in management structure under their own steam. Companies, of course, are against being forced by law to take action, and many in Germany's ruling coalition government agree. But von der Leyen is strongly in favour of quotas and has been working to bring about new rules - without much success. A meeting in Berlin Wednesday between managers of the 30 firms listed on the DAX share index in Frankfurt and the ministers resulted in a promise from the former that they would set targets to promote more women in top jobs. It was far less than many wanted.
‘Flexible quota’
Schröder, meanwhile, is generally opposed to quotas, and is aiming for a middle path. "Quotas are always a supporting crutch, but sometimes they are necessary," she said. "That's why I'm suggesting a flexible quota, which the companies agree among themselves, because that's the way they take much more responsibility for the issue."
Read the full story here.
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