Equal opportunities and gender mainstreaming

Gender equality policy is one of the central fields of socio-political action. The development of the state and the cohesion of society also depend on whether actual equal opportunities for women and men are established and whether the causes of the remaining inequalities between women and men are eliminated, despite extensive legal equality.

The equal opportunities policy of the Hessian state government is based on the Basic Law, the Hessian Constitution, the Treaty of Lisbon, which has enshrined equal opportunities as a legally binding guiding principle, and the Hessian Equal Opportunities Act.

The establishment of equal opportunities for women and men through the principle of gender mainstreaming is achieved through the "systematic integration of the respective situation, priorities and needs of women and men in all policy areas, whereby all general policies and measures are geared towards promoting equality between women and men and their impact on women and men is taken into account at the planning stage as well as during the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the measures concerned." (Communication from the Commission COM(96) 67 final). of 21.02.1996)

The state government cooperates on gender equality policy with the responsible bodies in the state, local and federal government departments as well as with the numerous women's associations and the State Women's Council, other associations, the social partners and the universities.