Fight for Women's Day: Lower Saxony is considering a new holiday!

Fight for Women's Day: Lower Saxony is considering a new holiday!

In Lower Saxony and Bremen there are efforts to introduce March 8th, International Women's Day, as an additional public holiday. This initiative, supported by numerous organizations and associations, aims to highlight the achievements of the women's movement and set an example for gender equality. The ver.di union plays a central role in this and has already collected over 7,000 signatures for the petition that was submitted to the Lower Saxony state parliament ver.di reports.

Support comes from well-known organizations such as the SoVD, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Lower Saxony State Women's Council as well as other associations that actively support women's rights. Friederike Wolf, the ver.di state women's secretary, is pleased with the broad support and notes that the state government has included an examination of another public holiday in the coalition agreement. NDR quoted from a statement that the Petitions Committee has already announced that it will make a recommendation to the state parliament, which strengthens the hope of an official discussion in the plenary session.

A symbol of gender equality

The introduction of a public holiday on March 8th would not only honor the achievements of the women's movement, but also draw attention to current challenges, such as the existing wage gap of almost 5 euros per hour between women and men and the unequal distribution of unpaid care work. International Women's Day has a long history, dating back to 1911, when it was first celebrated in Germany. Since then, women have been fighting for their rights and equality, as is also described in the historical documentation on women's rights in Germany, which points to many significant events and achievements that can be traced back to this struggle ( Wikipedia ).

However, there are also voices of skepticism. A representative from the Interior Ministry expressed concerns about the effectiveness of a new holiday for gender equality. In addition, the Lower Saxony Metall employers' association criticized the petition as “remote from reality”. He suggests that it would be better to cancel an existing holiday in the interests of the stagnating economy, which points to a deeper social debate.

Looking into the future

The decision on the new holiday is expected to be made in the second half of 2025. In the meantime, the discussion surrounding International Women's Day continues, and it remains to be seen whether voices for a holiday appeal will be heard. The participants in numerous demonstrations on International Women's Day show that the issue of equality is still very important in society. Meanwhile, the initiators of the petition are eagerly preparing for the next steps.

If you have any questions, Dunja Borges is available (0163 2840825) and we will continue to monitor developments. There is still a lot to do to create equality and fair conditions - there is still a lot of work ahead of us!