"Even though Germany is home to Angela merkel, one of the world's most powerful leaders, gender relations are surprisingly backwards for a developed country."
"Sexist remarks are all too often viewed as trivial - after all 'men will be men' and who wouldn't want to hear a compliment every once in a while - that's the logic of sexism."
- Astrid Zweynert, Deputy Editor, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Every week, Thomson Reuters Foundation correspondents offer distilled insight on pressing issues. Two-Minute Talking Points bring you concise commentary from the front lines of humanitarian crises, climate change, corruption and human rights.
It started with a lewd remark that a male German politician made about a female reporter’s breast – she could well fill a dirndl, the low cut Bavarian dress know as a revealing cleavage, the 67-year-old politician said.
The story tapped a deep vein of resentment among German women, and caused a social media storm unprecedented in my native country, which is not normally known for its passionate debates.
Thousand of women took to Twitter to voice their outrage and share their personal stories of sex discrimination and sexism.
When I looked at these tweets, it struck me that even though Germany is home to Angela Merkel, one of the world’s most powerful leaders in the world, gender relations are surprisingly backward for a developed country.
Just some facts to illustrate that point: on average, women earn 22 percent less than men in Germany. And half of the women say they have experience unwanted advances or other forms of sexual harassment at work.
But women often don’t speak out of these issues for fear of being seen as weak or humourless.
Sexist remarks are all too often viewed as trivial – after all ‘men will be men’ and who wouldn’t want to hear a compliment every once in a while – that’s the logic of sexism.
But German women are not alone in saying ‘enough is enough’.
In Britain, the “Everyday Sexism Project” is collecting examples of sexist behavior. In the United States the “shouting back” campaign collects examples of street harassment.
And all around the world, in France, in Italy and in many other places, women are joining forces to put an end to sexism.
Filming: Claudine Boeglin
Editing: Shanshan Chen
Design: Ye Li
