International Women’s Day: Workplace Equality Needs Action
Women in Germany who wish to have careers and a family still face systemic challenges.
Women in Germany who wish to have careers and a family still face systemic challenges. German sociologist Jutta Allmendinger sees hope on the horizon, with countries like Iceland leading the way.The goal of many young couples in Germany is for both to be able to work, spend time with their children and share household responsibilities. In practice, however, traditional patterns often persist. Women are still significantly more likely to work part time, while men more frequently remain the primary earners.
This imbalance is reflected in the latest gender pay gap data from Germany's Federal Statistical Office. The recently released figures for 2025 show that the gap remains wide.
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German sociologist Jutta Allmendinger says that the discrepancy is not for a lack of good intentions. Allmendinger is an honorary professor at Free University of Berlin and sits on several advisory bodies including the German Ethics Council; she served as president of the WZB Berlin Social Science Center until 2024. "When we ask couples what would happen if they had a child now, 80% of men say they would reduce their working hours and that they would want an equal split," Allmendinger says. "In the end, though, things often turn out differently."
Financial incentives send the wrong signal
There are several reasons that traditional divisions of labor in the home persist. One is the fact that men still earn more than women on average. That means women are more likely to take parental leave or shift to part-time work, which incidentally makes them less likely to advance into leadership positions at work. What's more, Germany's tax system favors married couples where one partner earns significantly more than the other. "That leads to couples dividing their responsibilities in response to tax rules, not according to any principles of fairness they themselves had agreed on," Allmendinger explains.
In her view, this is where policymakers must step in and take action. If the goal really is equality, she argues, then such tax concessions need to be abolished. Allmendinger is not the only one to voice criticism — Germany's approach to splitting married couples' income has been hotly debated in recent years.
The power of role models
When it comes to gender equality, Germany still shows a clear East–West divide. In the eastern German states — the area that used to be in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) — fewer women work part time, and career breaks tend to be shorter, even with the usual structural challenges.
Cultural habits play a big role, says Jutta Allmendinger. "In West Germany, the model was the single-earner marriage. A ‘good family’ was one where the husband worked and the wife didn’t have to — with the emphasis on ‘have to'," she explains. In the former East, by contrast, it was normal and socially accepted for both parents to work. That legacy still shapes choices today.
The differences even shows up in pensions. Women in the East tend to have smaller gaps in retirement income compared with men, while in the West Germany, the gap is much wider, reflecting different work patterns over a lifetime.
When it comes to trying to balance career and family, young parents across Germany — and mothers in particular — face similar pressures. The strain can be considerable, and that takes its toll, Allmendinger says. Over the past two to three years she's observed a growing polarization among women who are no longer able to manage a constant balancing act. Some are embracing the so-called 'tradwife' movement and electing to stay at home full time. Others are focusing solely on their careers and are choosing not to have children. "While that's not the majority," she says, "it's a growing trend."
Rethinking working hours
So what would help to make choices about career and family better for both parents? For Allmendinger, the solution must be a sustainable one. The standard 40-hour workweek for everyone, with no concession made for unpaid childcare, isn't realistic. Quite the opposite, she says.
Allmendinger has proposed a new standard: A 33-hour workweek for all. "My concept is for men to slightly reduce their average working hours, and for women to slightly increase theirs," she says. "Not only would that not reduce the overall total work volume compared to what we have now, it would actually increase it." In her model, both parents would have the time and flexibility to share childcare and household responsibilities.
Greater flexibility throughout one's career is also essential, she says. "We all know there are phases when you may need to work just 28 hours, and other periods when you can work much more. I think it's absurd that in Germany the time to start a family coincides with the peak phase of career advancement."
Childcare is another crucial factor, of course — not just day care centers, but schools too. "I see more and more women choosing to homeschool their children, because Germany's school system is getting worse," she says.
Iceland leads the way
Countries like Icelandhave proven that change is possible. For the last 16 consecutive years, Iceland has ranked first in the Global Gender Gap Report. In recent years it's made headlines for studies testing shorter working hours.
Allmendinger is also convinced that reducing working hours will become even more feasible considering advances in artificial intelligence. She points to the growing number of full-time positions that are structured as job-sharing arrangements. "It works marvelously," she says. "And this would also be a much more sustainable model." Even if Germany is still struggling to achieve gender equality, she remains optimistic. "In international comparisons, we can see what needs to be done to make things better," she says. "As long as we have those examples, we know the diagnosis isn't terminal."
This article was translated from German and edited by Sarah Hucal.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 06, 2026 09:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).