Who gets to take part

Women in Parliament

Women’s share of seats in the Bundestag has stagnated around one third. In the March 2026 debate marking International Women’s Day, Bas called for parity in electoral law and paid tribute to Rita Süssmuth.2

Pay and collective agreements

“Wo es Tarifverträge gibt, ist die Lohnlücke deutlich kleiner” — where collective agreements apply, the gender pay gap is significantly smaller. Bas connects equal pay to bargaining coverage rather than to individual negotiation.2

Reform of the Disability Equality Act

The cabinet approved a reform on 11 February 2026; first reading followed on 7 May 2026. For the first time private providers would have to make “reasonable accommodations” for people with disabilities. Bas called the bill progress while conceding she would have wished for more.3

Criticism: the Federation of the Blind (DBSV) and the German Institute for Human Rights consider the obligations for the private sector too weak. Status: in committee.

A route without a degree

Her own path — Hauptschule, apprenticeship, further training — is cited in the debate about whether Germany’s political elite is drawn too narrowly from university graduates. It is a single biography, not proof of a trend, but it is an unusual one at the top of the state.

Bürgernähe

As President she made “a new closeness to citizens” her theme: open days, civic education and a Parliament that explains itself. Citizen proximity

Child-rearing in the pension

The 2025 pension package includes “Mütterrente III”: from 2027, up to three years of child-rearing credits for every child, regardless of birth year — mainly benefiting women whose careers were interrupted by caring for children. Pension policy