Kick-off event: On the sustainability of structural gender equality work - opportunities and new approaches
Lecture and discussion on the occasion of the City of Chemnitz joining the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men - Date: Thursday, 22 November, 17:30, TIETZ building (event hall)
The motto of the opening event is "On the sustainability of structural equality work - opportunities and new approaches". Prof. Ilse Nagelschmidt from the Centre for Women's and Gender Studies at Leipzig University will give the keynote speech. The topic will also be discussed afterwards.
Equal Opportunities Officer Bettina Bezold: "After signing the accession document, the City of Chemnitz has two years to develop an action plan in a participatory process, define fields of action in this policy area and underpin them with projects and actions. This will lay the foundation for continuous, targeted equality work. The action plan offers concrete goals and measures within a manageable time horizon and is a transparent and verifiable basis. According to Bettina Bezold, it also provides new impetus for politics and administration. The action plan offers the opportunity to maximise the contribution to gender equality and equal opportunities for very different target groups with what the city is already doing. The Equal Opportunities Officer explains why this is so important for us as a city: "Gender equality is not a question of bureaucratic fulfilment of norms, nice to have but not affordable at the moment. In times of demographic change, we cannot afford to do without the potential of our citizens. And only if there are equal opportunities for both genders to realise their potential will all citizens have not only formal but also real choices and be able to develop."
Background: At its meeting on 25 April 2012, Chemnitz City Council voted by a majority to join the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men at local level. With the signing of the document by the Lord Mayor of Chemnitz on 15 October 2012, the city committed itself to the principle of equality between women and men, combined with the obligation to implement this principle in its own territory.
Equality between women and men is a fundamental right of all people and a basic value of every democracy. In order to achieve this goal, this right must be effectively applied to all areas of life: Politics, economy, society and culture. If we want to create a society based on equality, local and regional parliaments must take full account of the gender dimension in their policies, organisation and practical work. In the world of tomorrow, true equality between women and men is also the key to our economic and social success - in Europe, in our country, in our region, in our city. The signing of the City of Chemnitz's accession to the European Charter for Gender Equality at local level is an important step in this direction.
Contact: The contact person at the City of Chemnitz is Bettina Bezold, the city's Equal Opportunities Officer, on 0371 488-380.