In Germany, part-time work is virtually synonymous with mindless jobs and working on the side. This attitude is the result of political conservatism: the social democrats regard part-time jobs as an attack on workers’ rights, while the conservatives are still heavily invested in traditional family values.
Among Germany’s working women, 66 percent have a full-time job and an increasing number of women are looking for a place on the job market.
Lack of child care
A considerable obstacle in this regard is the state of child care in Germany. Particularly in the west of the country, there is a lack of crèches and other care facilities. Chancellor Angela Merkel is investing in the expansion of child care in an effort to modernise both her own party, the Christian Democrat CDU, and German society as a whole.
Another resource being used to boost participation in the workplace is Elterngeld (Parent money), an income-related social benefit paid out for the first six months after a child is born. An interesting aspect of this scheme is that it is open to fathers as well as mothers.
German women are vastly under-represented in the upper echelons of the business world, government and politics.
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