CDU on equality and diversity

The CDU rejects binding rules on gender-inclusive language in education, teaching, and public administration. People who do not use it should face no disadvantage, including in grading.

The CDU does not want rules that force gender-inclusive language. That is language that addresses all genders. Nobody should be worse off for not using it. This also applies to school grades.

The platform calls for no one to be disadvantaged in education, teaching, or anywhere in public administration for not using gender-inclusive forms. There should be no binding rules on such language. Whether a person uses it should not affect grades.

The CDU wants to fully implement the Istanbul Convention in Bremen and Bremerhaven and provide enough counseling and women's shelter places. It notes that women and girls are especially often affected by violence, including domestic violence.

Women and girls often face violence. The CDU wants to protect them better. There should be enough places in women's shelters. There should be good counseling. Dark paths should get better lighting.

The Istanbul Convention is a Council of Europe treaty against violence toward women. Counseling is to match demand and be easy to reach and accessible for people with disabilities. At the federal level, the CDU wants to work toward a uniform nationwide funding model for women's shelters. To improve women's sense of safety in public, the platform mentions better lighting of paths and streets, more women's parking spaces in garages, and seats for women on public transit, among other things.

The CDU wants to give women and girls better career opportunities and free job profiles from gender stereotypes early on. It argues that women in Bremen are employed less often and unemployed more often than in other German states.

The CDU wants better job chances for women. Girls should get to know all kinds of jobs, without prejudice. Jobs done mostly by women should pay better. Women without a degree should get help.

Raising children, caring for relatives, and career choice should not put women at a disadvantage. Programs in science, technology, engineering, and math are to be strengthened. Occupations in which mostly women work are to be upgraded in pay and appeal. Women and mothers without a qualification, especially single parents, are to get closer support on the way to a vocational degree. Business start-ups by women are to receive targeted support. At the same time, the CDU does not want gender to become the dominant criterion for support.

The CDU wants half of the leadership positions in the state administration and state-owned companies to be held by women, as long as suitable female candidates are available. The public sector is meant to set an example; for the party, promoting women and selecting by merit go together.

The CDU wants more women as bosses in public offices. This also applies to companies owned by the state. The condition is that suitable women apply. Parental leave should not hurt a career.

Parity is also to apply to companies in which the state holds a majority stake. Women are to be encouraged to take on leadership roles and prepared for them through staff development. Models such as part-time leadership, shared leadership, and flexible work are to be promoted further but also cut back where results suffer or work processes make them impractical. For periods of parental leave or leave to care for someone, performance reviews could be carried forward on a notional basis.

The CDU wants to do more to protect lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex and queer people. The state action plan against homophobia, transphobia and interphobia is to be carried forward.

The CDU wants to protect queer people better. Queer means, for example, lesbian, gay or trans. Nobody should treat them badly. Bremen already has a plan for this. The CDU wants to keep working on that plan.

The Queerpolitischer Beirat (queer policy advisory board) is to keep advising on the action plan. The CDU says it will act firmly against violence toward queer people. Existing counseling and support services are to be developed further. They should also become more aware of the specific protection needs of queer BIPoC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color).

The CDU wants to promptly draw up the already approved state action plan against racism across all departments. Complaint and counseling offices are to be expanded and discriminatory structures dismantled.

The CDU wants to act against racism and discrimination. Bremen should soon have a plan for this. People affected should be able to complain more easily. This should also work online and without giving a name. There should be more education on the topic.

Civil society groups and people affected are to take part in the action plan. A central, independent complaints office is planned for public-sector employees, along with training courses. Anti-racism education inside and outside schools is to receive more funding. The program calls a state free of racism and discrimination a task for society as a whole.