Fight for equality: DGB conference sets a clear example for women!

Fight for equality: DGB conference sets a clear example for women!

A festive place for important topics: Today, June 14, 2025, numerous delegates gathered for the 6th Ordinary District Women's Conference of the DGB Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland in the ZDF casino building in Mainz. Under the motto “Added Value – Equality”, we will take a look at the current challenges in women's policy and determine the unions' women's policy priorities for the coming years. This conference takes place every four years and is important for shaping future measures in the spirit of equality.

Maria Leurs, the DGB district women's secretary, made it clear in her opening conversation how important a fair distribution of time, money and power is. She openly addressed the disadvantage faced by women in the world of work, which often leads to poverty in old age and social exclusion. This reality should give us all pause, especially since the DGB represents the interests of almost 120,000 female members and advocates for their interests in order to promote a self-determined life.

Equality in focus

Susanne Wingertszahn, chairwoman of the DGB Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland, emphasized the efforts of DGB women to fight for equal rights. Collective agreements are an important instrument for promoting equality. This is particularly remarkable when you consider that, despite all the progressive measures, in 2024 the unadjusted wage gap between men and women was still around 16 percent. It is sobering that around three quarters of the wage gap can be attributed to social structures in which women are often active in poorly paid jobs and are less likely to reach leadership positions. For many women, this means unequal treatment that is still present today. According to the Anti-Discrimination Agency, up to six percent of the wage differences are even inexplicable and demonstrate the discrimination that many women have to experience in terms of salary and career.

A central theme of the conference was the vote on numerous motions that were intended to formulate union demands for the future. Applications for gender-equitable spatial and urban planning, increasing the number of places in women's shelters and the compatibility of work and care were on the agenda. These points are particularly important in order to create a social and economic infrastructure that is fair for all genders and supports responsibility for each other in the family, as the guiding principle of the trade union equality policy also stipulates. The DGB is strongly committed to ensuring that women can secure their own livelihoods.

Greetings and support

The conference was enriched by a series of greetings, including from Katharina Binz, the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister for Family, Women, Culture and Integration, and Bettina Altesleben, State Secretary in the Saarland Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Women and Health. They emphasized the importance of equality in all areas of life and the need to break down existing barriers so that women are treated fairly in society.

In order to meet these challenges, the DGB will continue to rely on collective bargaining policy successes and strengthen the voice of women in the world of work. With a clear focus on work-life balance and promoting partnership from the start, a new path towards a fairer society could be paved.

We are excited to see what measures and results will emerge from this important conference and how the women in the DGB can drive these changes.