What do the parties in Lower Saxony say on equality and diversity?

The AfD wants to abolish, without replacement, what the program calls the General Equal Treatment Act, because in its view the law mainly creates red tape. It also wants to restrict warning-letter associations and the right of associations to sue, and to roll back state requirements for businesses.

There is a law against unfair treatment. The AfD wants to scrap this law. It says the law creates too much work for businesses. Lawsuits by associations against companies should also be harder.

The AfD rejects gender mainstreaming and gender studies and wants to end public funding for such projects immediately. In its view, the underlying theories contradict natural science. It also wants to stop what it calls the early sexualization of children.

The AfD is against gender policy. It wants no more money for gender projects. It says most people see themselves as male or female. It also opposes early sex education in kindergarten.

The AfD wants to ban gender-inclusive written language in the justice system. In the party's view, laws and court rulings require precise and correct language.

The AfD wants to ban gender-inclusive language in the justice system. This kind of language names all genders, for example with an asterisk. The AfD says laws and rulings must be clear and easy to understand.

The CDU rejects strict language rules in research and teaching. People who do not use gender-inclusive language at universities, research institutions or elsewhere should face no disadvantage; the party bases this on academic freedom.

The CDU does not want strict language rules at universities. Nobody should have to use gender-inclusive language. People who do not use it should face no disadvantage. The CDU says science must stay free.

The CDU wants to make equal rights for women and men a reality in everyday life and break down fixed gender roles. Work and family are to be easier to combine, more women are to reach leadership roles and STEM jobs, and women who care for relatives are to be protected from poverty in old age.

Women and men should have the same chances. The CDU wants more child care places. More women should become bosses and start companies. Women who cared for relatives for a long time should get a better pension.

The CDU wants to improve implementation of the Istanbul Convention, a Council of Europe treaty against violence toward women. Shelters, counseling services, and prevention projects are to be expanded.

The CDU wants to protect women and children better from violence. There should be more money for shelters. Counseling should be easy to reach everywhere and anonymous. Police, courts, and counseling centers should work closely together.

The CDU wants lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex people to be able to live safely and free from discrimination. Police and prosecutors are to be made more aware of hostile violence, and services in rural areas are to be expanded.

LGBTI means lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex people. They still often face violence and rejection. The CDU wants to protect them better. The police should get better at recognizing such crimes. Rural areas should get groups and counseling.

The Greens want diversity and anti-discrimination to be part of school culture, school bodies, teaching and classroom materials. Curricula would be revised with a view to diversity and gender equity, and queer topics would become part of the curriculum.

The Greens want schools to embrace diversity. No one should be treated unfairly. Every school should have a contact person for this. Queer topics should also be taught in class.

The Greens want women in academia to have the same career opportunities as men. The platform notes that women make up half of students and doctoral candidates but hold far fewer professorships and leadership posts.

There are few female professors at universities. The Greens want to change that. Women should have the same chances as men. Secure jobs and child care should help.

The Greens are seeking a treaty with the Islamic religious communities to put matters such as religious education, imam training and pastoral care on a new footing. The umbrella organizations of Sinti and Roma are also to receive contractually guaranteed recognition and funding.

The Greens want a treaty with the Islamic communities. It would cover things like religion classes and training for imams. The Sinti and Roma associations should also get a treaty. The state should fund them for the long term.

The Greens want to create an anti-discrimination law for Lower Saxony modeled on Berlin's. It is meant to protect against discrimination by state and municipal agencies and institutions and, for the first time, give those affected a claim to compensation.

The Greens want a new law against unfair treatment. It should apply to offices of the state and the towns. People affected can then ask for money as compensation. There should be complaint offices everywhere.

The Greens want queer orientations and identities to be recognized as a natural part of society. To that end they plan counseling and support networks, especially in rural areas, more education in schools, and queer-sensitive practices and gender-inclusive language in state agencies.

Queer people should belong everywhere in Lower Saxony. Queer means lesbian, gay or trans, for example. The Greens want more counseling, especially in rural areas. Schools should talk openly about diversity. State offices should use gender-inclusive language.

The Greens want to fully implement the Istanbul Convention on protecting women from violence and launch a cross-ministry overall strategy for violence protection. This includes more places in women's shelters, reliable public funding for them and an expansion of counseling centers.

Many women experience violence. The Greens want to protect them better. There should be more places in women's shelters. The places should be free for the women. Counseling centers should also get more money.

The Greens are seeking an election law reform that provides for gender parity and holds up constitutionally. It is meant to raise the share of women in the state parliament and local councils, which stood at 27 percent in the state parliament after the last election.

There are far more men than women in the state parliament. Only about one in four members is a woman. The Greens want to change the election law. Then more women should sit in the parliament and in local councils.

The Greens want to tighten Lower Saxony's Equal Rights Act so that more women hold leadership roles in the public service. In companies in which the state holds a stake, at least half of executive and supervisory board seats are to go to women.

Few women are bosses in the public service. The Greens want to change that with a stricter law. There should be a minimum share of women bosses. In companies owned by the state, half of the leaders should be women.

The SPD wants to firmly establish queer realities in education and raise awareness among students, parents and teachers. The platform's reason is that sexual orientation and gender diversity are often grounds for bullying and discrimination in schools.

The SPD wants queer topics to be part of school. Queer means, for example, gay, lesbian or trans people. Children, parents and teachers should learn more about this. This should lead to less bullying.

The SPD wants parliaments to be made up equally of women and men and will work on a constitutionally sound parity model for Lower Saxony. An SPD-led state government is to have equal numbers of women and men.

There are far fewer women than men in the state parliament. The SPD wants to change that. It wants to develop rules for this. The rules must fit the constitution. An SPD government should have as many women as men.

The SPD wants to expand childcare for children under twelve and make it more flexible. Remote work is to be designed in a gender-equitable way so that women are not overburdened by paid work and family duties.

Parents should be able to combine work and family more easily. There should be more care for children under twelve. Working from home should not put extra strain on women. Further education should also be easier for parents.

The SPD wants to expand the support network for women affected by violence and give women's shelters reliable funding by law. It backs a nationwide legal right to a place in a shelter. Counseling for perpetrators is also to grow.

Women should be better protected from violence at home. Women's shelters should get secure funding. Every woman should have a right to a shelter place. Offenders should get counseling too. Police and courts should learn more about the issue.

The SPD wants to develop Lower Saxony's Equal Opportunities Act further, with binding equality plans and sanctions. Half of the leadership positions in the state administration are to be held by women.

Women should have equal chances in state agencies. Every agency should get a fixed plan for this. The head of the agency is responsible. Half of the bosses should be women. Women should also have a say in planning cities and transit.

The SPD wants to remove the word “Rasse” (race) from the constitution of Lower Saxony. In addition, the public and the police are to be made more aware of everyday racism and antisemitism.

The constitution of Lower Saxony contains the word “race.” The SPD wants to delete this word. People should get better at noticing everyday racism. This also applies to the police.

The SPD wants to pursue hate crime more consistently, especially against queer people. To this end, such offenses are to be fully recorded in statistics, weigh more heavily in sentencing, and be better recognized by the police.

Some people are attacked because they are queer. Queer means, for example, lesbian, gay or trans. The SPD wants to pursue these crimes more strictly. The police should spot and count them better.

The SPD wants to increase the share of women in local politics. To this end, shared mandates and parental leave for officeholders are to be anchored in law.

Few women sit on local councils. The SPD wants to change that. Two people should be able to share one seat. Parental leave should also be possible on the council.

The SPD wants to achieve accessibility in all areas and strengthen the participation of people with disabilities, including in the regular labor market. A state competence center is to advise public agencies and businesses, and more accessibility is to be demanded of private companies.

People with disabilities should be able to take part everywhere. So the SPD wants to remove barriers. A new state center will advise agencies and companies on this. Private companies should also do more for accessibility. People with disabilities should find regular jobs more easily.

The SPD wants to add sexual and gender identity to the anti-discrimination clause of the state constitution. A state action plan against homophobia, transphobia and hostility toward queer people is to be launched, and queer centers and associations are to receive support.

The SPD wants to protect queer people better. Queer people include lesbians, gay men and trans people. The state constitution should name their protection clearly. A state plan should help against hate and violence. Queer centers should get support.