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Women's issues in focus: Candidates stand in Morsbroich Castle!
On July 12, 2025, a panel discussion on women's policy issues took place at Morsbroich Castle in Leverkusen, moderated by Joshua Kraski. The mayoral candidates debated about daycare funding, equal rights and education.
Women's issues in focus: Candidates stand in Morsbroich Castle!
On Thursday evening, an informative event organized by the Leverkusen Women's Ring took place in the Hall of Mirrors at Morsbroich Castle, at which various candidates for the office of mayor answered questions. [KSTA]. Dietrich (Left Party) and the only woman in the group, Valeska Hansen (FDP), took part.
The discussion focused intensively on women's policy issues, with the chairwoman of the women's ring, Michaela Di Padova, emphasizing the urgency of the points raised. Topics such as the financing and design of daycare centers were a particular focus. Uwe Richrath pushed for the need for specialist staff for daycare centers and Stefan Hebbel emphasized how important it is to have enough places. Valeska Hansen emphasized that off-peak care needs to be improved, while Massimo Nigordi suggested reallocating funds to daycare centers. Sven Weiss and Keneth Dietrich also made critical comments about the use of money and the need for nationwide financing.
Equality as a central issue
The topic of equality was also not neglected at the event. Valeska Hansen advocated strengthening the role of internships for girls. While the discussion between the candidates was peaceful, critical questions from the audience, particularly to Stefan Hebbel, about the promotion of women in the CDU caused a stir. The need for school construction and the need for renovation were also addressed by Sven Weiss. The CDU and FDP made proposals to found a Leverkusen school building company, which was rejected by the Greens.
The Gender Equality Index from the European Institute for Gender Equality shows that there is still a long way to go towards equality. For 2020, the EU score was 53.5 points, with the score for political power being 56.9 points, underlining requirements for a fairer distribution of political power in many areas. Although progress has been visible since the Equality Act for Leadership Positions came into force in 2016, women continue to be underrepresented in key positions. According to Democracy Center, access to leadership positions is still often reserved for a small elite.
The challenge of implementation
Despite legal regulations, such as the law on equal participation of women and men in management positions, which has been in force since 2016, the reality shows a low proportion of women in companies. Many companies did not have a clear target for the proportion of women before 2021, which is a key factor in the slow progress. Gleichstellungsportal reports that only 7.2% of board positions in Germany are held by women. This situation is reinforced by companies' often overgrown structures and the lack of targeted support measures.
At the end of the event, the candidates were asked which means of transport were important to them and what they would wish for young girls in Leverkusen. Brigitte Boersch, a participant, emphasized how important these constructive discussions are in order to actively shape the future in Leverkusen and the role of women in it.