The City of Chemnitz's Equal Opportunities Officer, Franziska Herold, presented the Equal Opportunities Action Plan 2026 and her activity report for 2025 to the City Council yesterday. Both were presented to the members of the City Council as information documents.
The information documents were followed by questions from the council. "The intensive discussion clearly shows that equality is a relevant topic in Chemnitz and that the work in this area is being recognised," says Herold.
Strategic basis for the coming years
The 2026 Gender Equality Action Plan is the first comprehensive strategic basis for municipal gender equality work in Chemnitz. The plan is based on the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men at local level and defines specific measures in four key areas of action:
- Participation: strengthening the participation of women in politics and business, including through mentoring programmes, role model campaigns and political education projects,
- Equal opportunities: promoting equal educational and development opportunities for girls and boys as well as early support with career guidance,
- Prevention of violence: expansion of awareness-raising, prevention and protective measures for domestic violence and improvement of the feeling of safety in public spaces, and
- Perception and understanding of roles: breaking down stereotypical gender roles and promoting diverse lifestyles for women and men.
A particular focus is on measures that are effective in the long term, create structural improvements and can be monitored using specific key figures.
Successful use of the start-up phase
The 2025 Activity Report documents Franziska Herold's first eight months in office since taking over in May 2025, a phase characterised by the establishment of sustainable structures, intensive networking and a clear strategic direction for gender equality work.
The key objectives during the reporting period were
- The strategic anchoring of gender equality work in the city administration,
- increasing visibility and social sensitisation,
- strengthening networks and cooperation, and
- focussing on violence prevention and protection structures.
In addition to the development of the action plan, numerous events, committee work and collaborations were initiated - including public campaigns against domestic violence, events on role models and formats to empower women and involve men in gender equality issues.
A solid foundation for the future
In conclusion, the Equal Opportunities Officer states that a solid foundation for future equal opportunities work in Chemnitz has been created in a short space of time. The goals set are realistic, measurable and effective. "The results so far show that the measures taken make sense and have a concrete benefit for the city of Chemnitz. Equality is a task for society as a whole - it can only be achieved through dialogue and joint action," said Herold.