Gained or lost? The impact of social change on women

The overall economic situation, social changes, the coronavirus crisis: these are just three buzzwords that have and have had a direct and indirect impact on the situation of women in Offenbach. The Offenbach-based Institut für berufliche Bildung, Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik GmbH (involas) was commissioned by the Women's Office last year between May and October to investigate whether and which of these were and are the case. The explorative study asked about crisis-related changes that affect women's everyday lives and how these are being addressed in Offenbach, for example in the neighborhoods. As part of a presentation of the study "Women in public space - a gender-sensitive analysis of the effects of social crises in Offenbach" last Friday, 8 March, by the two people responsible, sociologist Susanne Huth and political scientist Katinka Simon, Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke, Pia Barth from the Frauenennotruf and Halte.Punkt pro familia and Sonja Schicktanz, Commissioner for Equal Opportunities in the Labour Market, Employment Agency and Gertrud Marx discussed the current situation in the Haus der Stadtgeschichte. City Councillor and Chairwoman of the Equal Opportunities Commission of the City of Marx stood in for Nadine Gersberg, MdL, who was unable to attend at short notice.

After Huth and Simon had presented the topics of the study, which included data on equal pay/employment, physical integrity, education and information, political co-determination and social participation, the subsequent discussion focused mainly on questions relating to equal pay/employment, physical integrity and political co-determination.
The participants quickly agreed that women generally need good access to education and that the need for language courses for those with a migration background is greater than what is actually available. Sonja Schicktanz criticized the comparatively high hurdles that sometimes exist for language acquisition and the achievement of required qualification levels. Added to this is the lack of childcare facilities, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, for many women to enter the labor market and thus gain equal access to gainful employment. Marx added that there is also a need for low-threshold and multilingual information on services in all the areas covered.
Even though the right to life and physical integrity is enshrined in the German constitution, women are often victims of violence or injury. "For several years now, we have been offering "immediate medical assistance after rape", a low-threshold support service that we provide in cooperation with the Sana Klinikum and Ketteler Hospital. Immediate medical assistance after rape gives the women affected time to make a self-determined and informed decision about reporting the crime to the police without endangering their health or securing evidence relevant to the investigation. This also includes the Halte.Punkt counselling service offered by pro familia Offenbach to protect children and young people from sexualized violence. If we cannot prevent rape or sexual violence, we must strengthen victims in order to weaken perpetrators," explained Lord Mayor Dr. Schwenke.
Pia Barth knows the hurdles, reservations and challenges from practical experience and adds: "In cases of patriarchal violence, it is always difficult for the women affected, and they need twice as much courage and support. Especially then, a kind of fast lane would be good so that these women can be helped more quickly, for example with official applications, if they have previously visited a counseling center." There is a consensus that men must also stand up for women and that women cannot achieve equality on their own. Councillor Marx would also like to see more movement in political work, as the structures are still too often male-dominated and even if women wanted to, meeting times and attendance requirements would make it difficult for mothers in particular. "This makes any real participation and equality difficult, especially if we want to include everyone. And that's what we want."

The publication of the study "Women in public space - a gender-sensitive analysis of the effects of social crises in Offenbach" is planned for the end of May.