Focus on family friendliness: EU Charter Advisory Board selects jury for the UFF Award in December
19.12.2024
The advisory board for the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men at local level met in December - and set an important course for Offenbach's equality policy. On December 3, the members met to select the jury for next year's fifth "UFF Prize", which the City of Offenbach awards to companies for exemplary measures to reconcile work, family and care.
The newly elected jury has now begun its work. In addition to the two members qua office, City Councillor Gertrud Marx and Women's and Equal Opportunities Officer Dr. Inga Halwachs, Charlotte Buri (Deputy Managing Director of MainArbeit), Birgit Günther (Operational Managing Director of the Offenbach Employment Agency), Robert Horak (Course Director at Initiative Arbeit), Lioba Janßen (Managing Director of Lernwerkstatt Offenbach e.V.) and Alexander Klein (Managing Director of ver.di district Frankfurt and region) were unanimously appointed to the committee. Together, they will decide in spring 2025 which Offenbach companies will be recognized in 2025 for innovative and family-friendly solutions - from flexible working time models to support services for family caregivers.
"The advisory board and the jury are strong voices for equality and the compatibility of work, family and care in our city," emphasized Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke. "With the election of the jury, a further step has been taken to make the goals of the European Charter for Equality tangible at local level. The aim is to improve the reality of life for Offenbach's residents - be it through family-friendly offers, fair working conditions or support for carers. I would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment to making our city a little fairer and more liveable."
Offenbach's path to equality
The UFF Award is just one part of the comprehensive commitment that the City of Offenbach has shown since joining the European Charter for Equality between Women and Men in 2016. This charter, an initiative of the European Council of Municipalities and Regions of Europe (CEMR), sends out a clear signal: Equality is not only a fundamental right, but also a key to social and economic strength.
The Offenbach EU Charter Advisory Board, an honorary, non-partisan and non-denominational body, supports and advises the city on the implementation of the Charter. Chaired by the Lord Mayor as the responsible member of the city council, the advisory board supports in particular the development and continuation of measures such as the action plan for reconciling work, family and care - a central pillar of the city's equality strategy.
"The charter is our commitment to shaping Offenbach as a city of equal opportunities," explained Inga Halwachs, Women's and Equal Opportunities Officer for the City of Offenbach. "The advisory board plays a key role in this by steering the implementation of the charter into concrete projects and building bridges between politics, administration and civil society as an advisory body."
Background to the European Charter
The European Charter for Equality between Women and Men at Local Level was adopted in 2006 and last revised in 2022. It calls on local and regional governments to use their expertise and networks to actively promote equality. Offenbach has been part of this initiative since 2016 and has since been committed to implementing the Charter's goals with specific projects and measures.