************************************************************** The material posted here was provided to the Division for the Advancement of Women by the Government in response to a note verbale. It is being made available in electronic format in the form received. In cases where it was not possible at this time to reproduce charts and tables supplied, these can be obtained by contacting the Division for the Advancement of Women directly. ************************************************************** GERMANY National Strategies for the Implementation of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women Preface The National Strategies aimed at implementing the Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Peking from 4 to 15 September 1995 are the result of one year of discussions in Germany. This process started with the National Follow-up Conference in March 1996, when the various social groups and decision-makers in the State and economy exchanged their initial considerations on how to fulfil the requirements formulated at the Fourth World Conference on Women. Associations and institutions, women's groups and individual Federal Laender subsequently incorporated into the National Strategies their initiatives, measures and suggestions, thus revealing the current state of equality in Germany and identifying the areas requiring further political and social action. At this point, I wish to cordially thank all those involved for their commitment. Further relevant actors that have not yet taken part in drafting the National Strategies, are kindly invited to join the process of implementing the Peking Platform for Action. The National Strategies of the Federal Republic of Germany focus on three main areas for action. These are: - Giving women equal access to decision-making positions at all levels of our society. - Improving the situation of women in the economy and on the labour market. - Enforcing human rights and eliminating violence against women and girls. I wish to see the National Strategies perceived as an ongoing process. They will initiate an intensive social dialogue on the partnership between women and men, the enjoyment of equal rights by both sexes and the participation of women at all levels of our society. Claudia Nolte Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth Contents Preliminary remark I Assessment of the 4th World Conference on Women from the German point of view II The implementation process in Germany since the conclusion of the 4th World Conference on Women III The Beijing Platform for Action and the status of equal rights policy in Germany- Analysis and balance Legal and institutional framework conditions Political and social participation of women Women in education and the working world Reconciliation of family and gainful employment Human rights and violence against women Women and health IV National strategies for the implementation of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women in Germany Main strategic objective Participation of women in decision-making The strategic objectives of the Platform for Action Education and science Increase in the proportion of women in executive positions The representation of women and women's affairs in public Women in the decision-making process for environmental policy Main strategic objective Improvement of women's situation in industry and commerce and on the labour market The strategic objectives of the Platform for Action Social security of women Training and continuing education of women Reconciliation of family and career or training Professional promotion of disabled women Women's access to training and careers Equal rights of women and men in working life Main strategic objective Human rights and the elimination of violence against women and girls The strategic objectives of the Platform for Action Prevention of and protection against violence Trafficking in women Human rights Discrimination at the workplace V Synopses Main strategic objective Participation of women in decision-making Main strategic objective Improvement of women's situation in industry and commerce and on the labour market Main strategic objective Human rights and the elimination of violence against women and girls VI GLOSSARY VII Appendix Documentation of demands on various actors as regards implementation of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women Resolution of the 6th Conference of Ministers and Senators of the Federal Lander for Equal Opportunities and Women (GFMK) of 20/21 June 1996 Demands of the non-governmental organisations on the three main strategic objectives Preliminary remark The structure of the National Strategies for the implementation of the Platform for Action passed by the Member States of the United Nations at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing is based on a "sample plan of action" elaborated and made available by the United Nations According to this, the first section contains a short review and an assessment of the Conference from a national point of view. The second section focuses on the individual working steps and measures which have been undertaken towards developing the National Strategies in Germany since the conclusion of the 4th World Conference on Women. The third section compares the status of German equal rights policy with the demands of the Platform for Action, states the fields and areas in which the demands have been fulfilled and indicates what has already been undertaken towards fulfilling the demands. The fourth section describes the National Strategies for the main strategic objectives for which action needs to be taken in Germany, separately according to actors and levels, as well as the temporal and financial framework conditions. The fifth section gives a synoptic overview of measures which have been undertaken by the different actors in German society and state bodies to fulfil the demands of the Platform for Action regarding the three main strategic objectives. The Appendix documents demands for the implementation of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women, comprising a 24-point catalogue of the 6th Conference of Ministers and Senators of the Federal Lander for Equal Opportunities and Women (GFMK) and the demands of the non-governmental organisations relating to the three main strategic objectives. l. Assessment of the 4th World Conference on Women from the German point of view On 15 September 1995, the 4th World Conference on women ended with the adoption of the Platform for Action: "Equality, Development and Peace" and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration. The process of turning the equal rights of women and men in society into reality throughout the world reached an initial climax with the Platform for Action and declaration passed in Beijing. From the German point of view, the World Conference on Women was an overall success. The Platform for Action and the Beijing Declaration represent the first self-contained concept for the equal rights of women and men, to which the women in Asia, Africa, Europe, America and the Pacific region, i.e. worldwide, can refer. Although they are not legally enforceable, the resolutions of Beijing nevertheless represent an important basis for the legal situation of women around the world, as well as a political and economic framework for action for those responsible in the Member States of the United Nations. On the whole, the Beijing resolutions greatly exceed the results of the previous World Conferences on Women in Mexico, Copenhagen and Nairobi. They clearly show that the problems of this world cannot be solved without the equal participation of women in political decision-making processes, their access to economic resources and their contribution to social development. In contrast to the final documents of other conferences of the United Nations, the Platform for Action is not only characterised by global aims, but also states specific measures, the implementation of which can achieve the individual goals. The World Conference on Women was hallmarked not only by the official government delegations, on the one hand, but also to a hitherto unknown extent by the non-governmental organisations, on the other. It showed that shaping the future in the individual societies is not solely the task of the respective governments. This also applies to the Federal Republic of Germany, where the non-governmental organisations were already integrated in the preparatory phase and also formed part of the government delegation at the conference. Beijing succeeded in drawing the attention of the whole world to the needs and interests of women and highlighted the discrimination against women which still exists, their poverty and their suppression in many parts of this world. Many resolutions from earlier conferences were geared to the specific situation of women and the equal rights of women and men in Beijing. The 4th World Conference on Women also opened up new prospects in important areas: On the topic of Women and Health, it was possible to maintain the results of the previous World Conferences, in particular of the International Conference for Population and Development. From the German point of view, the result of the negotiations in the health sector is highly satisfactory. The concept of the sexual self-responsibility of women was laid down and defined for the first time. The human rights of women embrace their right to sexual self-determination. This includes making decisions relating to family planning without coercion. discrimination and violence. A further success is the adoption of far-reaching formulations on the sexual education of youths and relating to the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. The resolutions of Copenhagen on the importance of health care services and the general access of women and girls to necessary and suitable services and facilities were confirmed. It is the first time that the entire spectrum of Violence against Women has been so comprehensively described and so vehemently condemned in an international document. Violence against women means acts of violence within marriage and the family, sexual harassment and sexual abuse; violence against women and girls means sexual exploitation, trafficking in women and children and forced prostitution. Violence against women arises from cultural prejudices, racial discrimination, ethnic cleaning, armed disputes and various forms of extremism and terrorism. These forms of violence are just as unequivocally condemned as pornography and the practice of genital mutilation. Violence against women is a violation of human rights. The message to the nations is clear: they are called upon to condemn, prohibit, prevent and punish these crimes, be it in the private or the public sector. At the international level, this includes combating trafficking in human beings and the abuse of minors for purposes of prostitution. A second important area is overcoming Women's Poverty. Poverty still impairs women's access to education, land, property, loans, employment and thus to economic independence, above all in the developing nations. The integration of women in the planning and implementation of projects and programmes is a fundamental demand of the platform in this respect. The donor nations have promised to restructure their development aid in favour of measures for the promotion of equal rights. In this context, mention should be made of consulting services on the training of rural women in the sectors of production, processing and marketing of foodstuffs, the promotion of measures to create income in small businesses, access to loans, land and production means, measures for the improvement of the drinking water supply, the redevelopment of slums and the improvement of the residential situation of women, training and continuing education, particularly in non-traditional occupations, and the creation of basic health services in connection with mother-child and family planning programmes. The difficult situation of women in Central and Eastern European countries was also taken into consideration. The promotion of the Family in its various forms as the foundation of society, the recording of women's work, both paid and unpaid, and the emphasis that motherhood and parenthood may not be reasons for discrimination or restriction of the equal rights of women in society, was another important point of consensus of the Platform for Action by which Germany set great store. The Beijing resolutions particularly emphasise the significance of promotion of the Reconciliation of Family and Gainful Employment for both women and men. The document advocates the elimination of the gender-sensitive division of tasks in the household or when caring for children and old people. Part-time work is given particular importance for both sexes. Women can only put all their efforts into coping with the structural shifts in industry and commerce and society and make a substantial contribution to shaping them if the life patterns of men change as well. This principle is a prerequisite for the equal rights policies in the Federal Republic of Germany and the Member States of the European Union The improved Access of Women to Economic Resources, in particular to capital and loans, the promotion of the independence of women as entrepreneurs and artisans, as well as the expansion of their share in the management structures of businesses, is relevant for both industrial nations and developing nations. The considerable lack of Women in Positions of Power and Decision-Making Positions is common to all countries. There is unanimous agreement that specific measures are needed in order to compensate for this deficit and that better access to the fields of education, science, research and technology relevant to future societal development is a particular need in this context. The link between the Improvement of Women's Education Opportunities and their position in society and their possibilities for economic independence played an important role in the debates. A key or pioneering function is conferred upon education policy worldwide in the process of gaining equal rights for women. Despite the high level of education reached by women in the industrial nations, continued efforts are still necessary towards ensuring access to technological development and the shaping of the future, as well as participation in industry and commerce at all levels and in all sectors. International cooperation is of particular significance in this context. Women play a key role in the process of sustainable development, a term which consistently arises in all the Conferences of the United Nations in the 90s. The world's major problems, such as environmental protection, checking the population explosion, social justice and safeguarding peace, cannot be solved without the equal participation of women in all resources and in the political decision-making processes. The long-term success of the World Conference on Women will be measured by the extent to which the Platform for Action is successfully implemented in the Member States of the United Nations. II. The implementation process in Germany since the conclusion of the 4th World Conference on Women With the adoption of the Platform for Action at the 4th World Conference on Women, the Federal Republic of Germany undertook to cooperate with all the forces in society in order to elaborate National Strategies for the implementation of the measures resolved by the end of 1996. The demands of the Platform for Action are not solely directed at the governments. They are also directed at non-governmental organisations, social groups and local authorities, in short, all actors in the respective societies. These have to develop strategies for themselves and their respective sphere of responsibility for meeting the demands formulated in Beijing in their respective position of responsibility. The Platform for Action provides a variety of stimuli for developments relevant to women's affairs in the Federal Republic of Germany and has already been reflected in numerous measures and activities in the relevant areas, as well as triggering new activities. In order to provide the different actors with the necessary basis for their work, the Federal Government published the German translation of the Platform for Action and the Beijing Declaration as early as at the beginning of 1996, as well as issuing a brochure on the results of the 4th World Conference on Women for to the public. In order to improve the information basis on the situation of women beyond the borders of Germany, it also published the United Nations Report "World's Women" 1995 in German. The National Follow-Up Conference in Bonn on 11 March 1996 fired the starting shot for the implementation of the Beijing resolutions at the national level. Its aim was to communicate the most important elements and demands of the Platform for Action to governmental and non-governmental actors and combine already existing implementation concepts. 400 participants from politics, industry and commerce, churches and associations took part in this conference and stated their concepts for implementation of the Platform for Action. Documentation of the discussions and contributions to this conference is now available. The Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology held an initial follow-up conference to Beijing in Leipzig in January 1996 under the auspices of the German UNESCO Commission and with the title "Women shape the structural shift". The main objectives of this conference, in which over 150 women from around the world took part, were the increased participation of women in the key areas of future societal developments. The international attendance permitted an intensive exchange of experience and provided decisive impulses for the continued implementation of the goals, also in cooperation with international partners. The report on the conference (entitled "Engagement of Women in Technical Fields, Volume 1") is also available as an English translation. Furthermore, a CD-ROM on the results of this conference and the continued implementation is currently being compiled and is intended to help make the German initiatives more visible at an international level. Follow-up conferences were also held in Thuringia, Saxony and Berlin. Furthermore, various women's organisations and groups held follow-up conferences, some promoted by the Federal Government. The political foundations also dealt with this subject. The Federal Government has drawn up a Report on the 4th World Conference on Women, which it will forward to the German Bundestag and make accessible to the public. This report not only contains an assessment of the 4th World Conference on Women from the German point of view, but also shows the framework for action of the Federal Government for the implementation of the Platform for Action of Beijing in the near future. Work began as early as at the beginning of 1996 with the analysis of the Platform for Action with respect to the elaboration of National Strategies. The pooling of all forces and the cooperation of all actors is needed in order to implement the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women. In order to elucidate the different strategies of the various responsible parties and actors in our society, to bring together thematic objectives and aims and to stimulate an exchange of experience with different measures, the Federal Ministry for Women compiled a synoptic overview of the main thematic objectives of the Platform for Action with the participation of all actors. In an initial step, stock was taken of what has already been done towards implementing the demands of the Platform for Action in Germany so far. It was intended that the respective actors in the Federal Government, Federal Lander Governments and non-governmental organisations determine and illustrate the further need for action for themselves in a second step. The aim of this was to ensure a comprehensive overview of everything already being undertaken at different levels and by different agencies in the Federal Republic of Germany to implement the equal rights of women and men in everyday life. Furthermore, the different actors were to develop ideas and concepts for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action for their respective spheres of responsibility and influence. In addition to the Federal ministries, four Federal Lander (Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia) have specifically formulated the individual demands of the Platform for Action for themselves, taken stock and also described some of their plans for advanced measures. Saxony has even passed a cabinet resolution. Furthermore, the GFMK has come to an agreement on a 24-point catalogue.( See Appendix I) The non-governmental organisations also participated in the elaboration of the National Strategies. For example, the German Women's Council and its member associations held a conference to analyse the Platform for Action and developed concepts for its implementation. The non-governmental women's forum proposed measures for the implementation of the Platform for Action. The groups representing the interests of disabled women in the different associations also participated.( See Appendix II) In the wake of the 4th World Conference on Women, a Women's Network for Peace was founded in the Federal Republic of Germany. This association of women particularly dealt with the section on "Women in armed conflicts". To date, the major societal groups in the Federal Republic of Germany mainly expounded their concepts for a follow-up process to the 4th World Conference on Women at the National Follow-Up Conference. This applies to the political parties, the collective bargaining parties, churches, professional associations and local authorities. They continue to be integrated in the implementation process. The Advisory Council for the Enforcement of Equal Rights for Women and Men at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth was also integrated into the implementation process and made proposals for the National Strategies. Unfortunately, there has been only limited success in stimulating the different actors to state the initiatives and measures with which they wish to fulfil the demands of the Platform for Action falling in their sphere of responsibility. The proposals for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action are often limited to demands addressed to the Federal Government and tend to be unclear as regards the actors' own spheres of responsibility. The implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in Germany can, however, only succeed if it is supported by all societal groups and actors. All those initiatives and measures which have been developed by the different actors for their respective spheres of responsibility and which they can implement under their own responsibility are included in the National Strategies. However, the development of national strategies must be seen as a process which is not concluded with the submission of the strategic measures presented below, but as a process which must be constantly updated. Therefore, the effectiveness of the measures now being presented is to be checked, corrected if necessary, and certainly developed further over the next few years. It thus follows that the actors who have not yet developed any strategies of their own are invited to join the process. The "Equal Rights - Participation Partnership" campaign planned by the Federal Government for 1997 will be an important instrument for the dissemination and discussion of the National Strategies. III. The Beijing Platform for Action and the status of equal rights policy in Germany Analysis and balance The Platform for Action contains statements and demands on the following subjects: women and poverty, the education and training of women, women and health, violence against women, women and armed conflicts, women and industry and commerce, women in executive positions, institutional mechanisms for the promotion of women, human rights of women, women and the media, women and the environment, girls, institutional agreements, financial participation. The key demands are the qualification of women, the increased participation of women in all decision-making bodies, the provision of gender-sensitive data and the improvement of the institutional framework conditions for equal rights policy. In an international comparison, the balance of the Federal Republic of Germany is positive. Much of what was demanded by the Beijing Platform for Action is already reality in Germany or a component of the equal rights policy of the Federal Government, Federal Lander Governments and municipalities. The following thematic objectives are intended to illustrate this: Legal and institutional framework conditions The institutional and legal set of instruments for enforcing the equal rights of women and men is very well developed. Article 3, Paragraph 2, of the Basic Law guarantees the equal rights of women and men. Legal equality in the various spheres of life is fundamentally achieved by means of numerous statutory regulations. Despite marked general progress in the last 20 years, the actual equality of women and men in the Federal Republic of Germany is far from being an all-embracing reality. Therefore, the following addition was made to the equal rights precept of Article 3, Paragraph 2, of the Basic Law as part of the 1994 constitutional reform: "The state shall promote the implementation of de facto equal rights for woman and man and shall work towards the removal of existing disadvantages". In simple law, the principle of equal rights is safeguarded by a multitude of individual regulations. The Second Equal Rights Act of the Federal Government of 24.06.1994 is an important step towards the fulfilment of the constitutional mandate. By international standards, Germany has a dense network of institutions for the enforcement of equal rights. At the Federal level, the area of equal rights policy is represented by the Federal Minister for Women. There are also separate Ministries for Women or executive positions with the rank of a state secretary in the majority of the Federal Lander. Municipal equal opportunities boards or women's offices exist in approx. 1,500 towns and municipalities. They are all devoted to the task of eliminating discrimination against women and ensuring women have equal access to all spheres of life in our society. Equal rights policy is social policy with reference to all political fields, economic and social policy, domestic and legal policy, education and health policy, housing, town planning and environmental policy. This framework for political action is generally referred to as "mainstreaming". While equal rights have already been formally implemented to a large extent in Germany in legal and institutional terms, experience shows that de facto equal rights cannot be achieved on the basis of laws and bans on discrimination alone. Women in leading professional positions are still in the minority. The Second Equal Rights Act will contribute to a substantial increase in the proportion of women in higher executive positions in the Federal Administration and the trend in recent years shows that this is the right approach, although it must continue to be intensively pursued. The Working Hours Act, which entered into force in 1994, abolishes antiquated obstacles to women's employment in the field of occupational safety, e.g. the ban on night shifts, in order to achieve equal treatment of women and men. The position of women on the labour market is also strengthened by the Second Equal Rights Act: women who suffer discrimination in working life due to their gender have the right to claim compensation. In principle, all job advertisements must already treat women and men equally. Political and social participation of women The participation of women in the political and social decision-making process may have increased, but equal participation and contribution is still a long way off. With the law "on the appointment and secondment of women and men to bodies within the sphere of influence of the Federal Government" in the context of the Second Equal Rights Act, the Federal Government created a legal basis for the achievement of equal participation of women in these bodies, although it still has to pass the acid test. Together with responsible parties from politics, education, the media and various social institutions, the Federal Government carries out measures for the promotion of women's participation in public life in order to acknowledge women and motivate them to step up their commitment in the political and social field. In recent years, there has been growing awareness in the political parties that the proportion of women in the executive bodies and amongst the elected representatives must be increased. Virtually all parties have taken corresponding measures to increase the participation of women. These range from binding targets to quotas when drawing up lists of candidates. Associations and other institutions are also undertaking efforts to increase the number of women in their ranks. The media help to shape the whole of society. This not only applies to the image of the sexes and the perception of their roles, but also to how people live and work with one another. Commissioners for women and plans for the promotion of women have been installed in almost all public broadcasting corporations in recent years, in order to be able to better protect the interests of female employees in the media institutions. The first signs of success are already visible. For example, more than 50% of the trainees today are female and continuing education measures specifically for female employees are offered. Women are now represented in greater numbers in the middle management, although not yet in the top positions, of these institutions. Women in education and the working world The promotion of girls and women is a particular objective of the education, science and research policy of the Federal Government which will continue to be of special significance in the future in view of the progress achieved to date. The participation of women in education and employment in the Federal Republic of Germany has fundamentally changed since the 80s. Women today are striving towards qualified and largely continuous employment. Girls and women have profited considerably from the developments in education policy and the opening up of educational channels since the 80s: they have been given the opportunity to prove their willingness to learn and their capability. For years, they have represented the majority of pupils in educational channels leading to the "Abitur" school-leaving examination. On average, they leave schools providing general education with higher educational qualifications than their fellow male pupils and achieve better grades. 54% of the pupils with an "Abitur" school-leaving examination from schools providing general education are today female. For the first time, more women (52%) than men started a course of study at university during the 1996 winter semester. In recent years, increasing numbers of women have decided on vocational training courses untypical for women: there has thus been marked growth in the choice of vocational training courses in which women and men are represented roughly equally and in vocational training courses primarily dominated by men. The discussions at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing and the aims of the Platform for Action also show that access to education for girls is decisive for their future standing in their career and society and for the organisation of their personal life. Against this backdrop, the developments towards gender-oriented organisation of coeducation and promotion of the individual abilities of girls and boys are of particular significance. The new key field of promotion "Girls and Women in Education", created in 1991 on the initiative of the BMBF (Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology) for pilot trials by the Bund/Lander Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion, has made an important contribution to the further development of coeducation and specific approaches towards the promotion of girls (and boys) in the school sector, the increased representation of women in top management positions, the improved participation of women in technical and scientific courses of study and the introduction of new continuing education study courses, particularly for women returning to work. Initiatives have been started and projects promoted by the BMBF in order to expand the vocational spectrum of girls and women. These are intended to provide impetus for the protracted process of overcoming the gender-sensitive division of the labour market. Particular attention is paid to this development in the annual vocational education reports of the Federal Government. The initiative "Women provide new impulses in technology", sponsored by the BMBF, the Federal Institute for Employment and Deutsche Telekom AG, is intended to give women better opportunities in technology-oriented occupational fields. The higher education and research sectors and international cooperation are particular objectives in the context of the work of the initiative. The work of the initiative is closely linked to the further implementation of the aims of the Platform for Action of the World Conference on Women. The previously mentioned conference on the subject "Women shape the structural shift", for example, has also contributed to this. Furthermore, a Women and Technology Centre has been established in Leipzig, which provides important impulses for the increased participation of women in the sectors of setting up new businesses and the utilisation and shaping of new technologies, for instance. An exemplary presentation of women's projects in the technology sector of relevance for future development was given in the context of the r Home exhibition in 1996. The wide spectrum of innovative women's projects was clearly shown here (ranging from women in nuclear engineering, women studying technology, telework, projects in the ecological sector, informatics and correspondence courses using new technologies to international women's networks). The 1996 Federal Research Report contained a section on "Women in Research" for the first time, which emphasises the importance of work in this area and describes the measures launched to date for the increased participation of women in the future development of science and research. The "Second Universities Special Programme for the Promotion of Young Talent in Science" (HSP II), implemented on the initiative of the BMBF, is specifically aimed at markedly increasing the proportion of women in science and research, particularly in post-doctoral studies and professorships. This is intended to create the prerequisites to allow a sufficient pool of highly qualified women to be available as soon as possible for the professorships and top positions in science and research which will have to be newly filled in future as a result of the impending generation change. This programme provides stimuli to change the structural framework conditions for the activity of scientific personnel to the benefit of women. In the context of this programme, grants for women returning to work and for post-graduate refresher courses were introduced, as were grant supplements for women looking after children and more flexible organisation of the promotion of doctoral and post-doctoral studies as regards time, with corresponding possibilities for extensions. The Federal Government and the Federal Lander Governments regard the fact that the new measures introduced by the HSP II for the promotion of women such as grants for women returning to work and for post-graduate refresher courses and contracts for work - have met with a good reaction as a positive development. They are of the opinion that the manifold measures of the HSP II implemented by the Federal Lander are suitable instruments to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching. The growing number of grants for post-doctoral studies awarded by the DFG (German Research Society) to women (an average of 32.2% from 1992 to 1994) is also regarded as a positive signal for the increasing participation of women in research and teaching. However, despite the generally positive development of the promotion of women in the Second Universities Special Programme, the aim of the HSP II to contribute to a general increase in the proportion of women amongst the scientific personnel of institutions of higher education and research institutions, which was intended to be geared to the respectively preceding qualification stage, has not yet been achieved. The new Joint Universities Special Programme II, which continues the previous approaches of the HSP II and also applies to the new Federal Lander, entered into force in September 1996. In March 1996, the Bund/Lander Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion adopted the "Promotion of Women in the Scientific Sector" report containing comprehensive measures, conclusions and recommendations for markedly increasing the participation of women in all sectors of the scientific qualification process and scientific personnel. These developments are necessary in the institutions of higher education and the non-university research institutions. The report also contains conclusions relating to the intensification of women's research. The development of this sector is also substantially pushed ahead in the Federal Lander by means of HSP funding. The heads of government of the Federal Government and the Federal Lander Governments took note of the report and its conclusions on 18.12.1996. A number of activities which placed greater emphasis on the implementation of this report, and thus also of the goals of the Beijing Platform for Action, in the science, research and technology sectors already took place in the course of 1996. The Concerted Action in Continuing Education, organised by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology, has provided essential impulses in the field of the vocational development and continuing education of women. Specialist events were held and recommendations made, particularly on the subjects of setting up new businesses and the continuing education of women in technology-oriented occupations, the increased participation of women in politics and the improvement of the communication and learning patterns of women and men in continuing education. The cooperation in the Concerted Action in Continuing Education for the continuing education of women, which includes all relevant institutions in the field of continuing education, is regarded as exemplary for the process of implementing the Beijing resolutions. Innovative projects have been carried out to increase the participation of women in promotion-related further training courses and their preparation for executive positions. Specific studies - of the career development chances of women in the various employment sectors, for example - provide an essential data basis for future developments and the presentation of the career development of women in the context of the vocational education reports of the Federal Government. In order to expand the career spectrum of women, studies on the chances of women in skilled trades and construction jobs were particularly carried out and guidelines developed on this basis. Furthermore, approaches for improving the participation of women in continuing training to achieve a master's diploma were studied. The experience gained in this project was integrated in the new "Meister-BAfo"G" (Upgrading Training Assistance Act) introduced in 1996, which also takes women on child-raising leave and women returning to work into consideration. In order to achieve better participation of women at all levels of industry and commerce, science, politics and society, the development of a "Total E-Quality Commendation in the Federal Republic of Germany was supported with the sponsorship of the BMBF and the EU in 1996. This commendation is intended to honour and publicise the personnel and management strategies of companies which implement personnel development strategies geared to equal opportunities and which take the special needs of women into account at all levels. Today, gainful employment is just as much a natural part of women's life plans as the acceptance of family tasks - with varying focuses, depending on the individual situation and age. The percentage of women in gainful employment in Western Germany is almost 60% and almost 75% in the new Federal Lander. While the unemployment rates of men and women in Western Germany hardly differ today, in contrast to past years, women are particularly hard hit by the current labour market problems in Eastern Germany: their current unemployment rate of 19.8% is still markedly higher than that of men (12.6%). The disproportionately high unemployment rate of women in Eastern Germany is a consequence of the necessary process of economic restructuring. The associated cutbacks on jobs has had particularly unfavourable effects on women because they were primarily employed in economic sectors under great pressure to rationalise and also because they remained unemployed longer than men due to the low willingness of employers to re-employ women. The integration of women into the labour market, i.e. an active labour market policy combined with the promotion of women, is a central objective of the equal rights policy of the Federal Government. The Federal Government has already taken numerous measures to facilitate the access of women to the regular labour market, including measures for the upgrading of part-time work under labour law and for qualification and reintegration into gainful employment. There is now widespread consensus between the state and the collective bargaining parties that part-time work subject to social insurance contributions should be more strongly promoted in everyday working life. The social partners and the companies themselves are primarily responsible for the provision of additional part-time jobs at a qualified level. The Federal Government supports industry and commerce by means of extensive public relations work, improved consulting services and practice-related research projects. The Federal Government has declared its aim of promoting the career independence of women by setting up new businesses. Women represent an economic potential which is far from exhausted. In contrast to men, however, women primarily set up businesses in sectors which are exposed to intense competition and are thus subject to a high risk of insolvency. Municipal/regional economic promotion can make a considerable contribution towards supporting the career independence of women. Based on the recommendation of the Concerted Action in Continuing Education for the continuing education of and setting up of businesses by women, the BMBF commissioned a research project to analyse the gender-sensitive differences when setting up businesses. This is intended to create a basis for the increased participation of women in the setting-up of businesses. However, the interests of economic promotion must focus on the potential of women willing to found new companies more strongly than in the past, in order to specifically support women willing to set up new businesses by their appropriate assistance and to equally promote women and men as regards the granting of low-interest loans. In this context, educational and consulting activities for women prior to setting up in business are particularly important, as are measures for developing innovative concepts up to a point where they are ready for the market. Reconciliation of family and gainful employment The reconciliation of family and gainful employment is, and will remain, the key question for the life planning of women and men alike. With the Child-Raising Benefit Act and three years' child-raising leave with a guaranteed return to work, the upgrading of reduced forms of working hours under social and labour law, the recognition of child-raising periods under pensions law and the expansion of care facilities to supplement the family, legislation in the Federal Republic of Germany has created essential prerequisites for the better reconciliation of family and gainful employment, and thus fulfilled some of the basic demands of the Platform for Action. There are many possibilities for structuring pro-family working hours, the supply of which is still inadequate, despite the great demand from employees of both sexes. Existing offers should meet with more a widespread public reaction: the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth thus staged the national competition "The pro-family company" for the second time in 1996. The mobile time campaign of the Federal Government in connection with the Federal Institute for Employment and the pilot project for advice on mobile time are intended to offer further models for pro-family, flexible working hours. These are particularly concerned with the promotion of mobile time in specialist and executive positions. Within the last two years, 500 small and medium-size companies have been advised in the context of a national pilot programme of the Federal Government for more flexible and pro-family working hours. The qualification potential of women must be used in a more targeted manner. This requires framework conditions in the companies which facilitate better reconciliation of family and career. This process of changing people's way of thinking is promoted by the introduction of the Total E-Quality Commendation with the participation of industry and commerce. It becomes particularly clear when discussing this topic that equal rights are demonstrated by the extent to which power and positions, rights and duties can be successfully shared, in the family, in the working world and in politics, and the extent to which men discover the family environment more intensively than before and are willing to take on responsibility within the family. This is a sociopolitical process which the Federal Government will continue to support, although every single individual is also called upon to make a contribution. The recognition of the services rendered by women to society in terms of raising children and caring for relatives is an important element of the political measures of the Federal Government. The overall focus must be on making the public aware of, and showing appropriate recognition of, the multitude of forms and the extent of unpaid work done by women. A time budget summary drawn up on behalf of the Federal Government has revealed important facts in this respect. Human rights and violence against women Violations of human rights and violence against women were central topics at the 4th World Conference on Women. They are a great challenge at both the national and the international level. The subject of ''violence against women" has increasingly become a objective of the equal rights policy of the Federal Government, Federal Lander Governments and municipalities in recent years. Numerous legal improvements, as well as improvements in the institutional handling of affected women and offenders, have now been achieved. The matter of sexual harassment at the workplace, for example, was taken up in the context of the Second Equal Rights Act. The number of women's refuges has increased from 120 to over 330 since 1985. These provide women with shelter and protection against violence. The regulations on trafficking in human beings, amongst other things, were changed and tightened in penal law. The use of violence in any form must be condemned by society. The existence of violence may not be made taboo, even if it occurs within the family. The public campaign of the Federal Government on violence against women has been prolonged by one year more than originally planned. The International Congress on the Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm in August 1996, was the subject of both national and international attention. lt again illustrated the close connection between violence against children and violence against women. Women and health The Federal Republic of Germany has a health care system which stands unparalleled the world over. The equal access of women and men to all health services and institutions is guaranteed by law. The extensive network of sexual advice, family planning and life advice institutions has become more open and consolidated in our society. The need of women for preventive advice and specific advice for women is increasingly being included in the range of health advice offered. The advice offered by the Federal Centre for Health Education has made a considerable contribution to this. The measures for combating the immune deficiency disease AIDS, as well as other educational measures by state health services, integrate men and women equally. IV. National strategies for the implementation of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women The National Strategies for the implementation of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women concentrate on three main cross-chapter objectives of the Platform for Action and the strategic goals assigned to them for which further action still needs to be taken in the Federal Republic of Germany. In this context, the implementation of equal opportunities for women and men in all sectors of education, science, research and technology - the key sectors for future social and economic developments - is a central t>~k This focus is reflected in the first two main objectives of the National Strategies. 1. Equal access of women to decision-making positions at all levels of our society 2. Improvement of women's situation in industry and commerce and on the labour market and 3. Human rights and the elimination of violence against women and girls. The following instruments are used to implement the National Strategies: - Application and review of the existing set of instruments (laws and institutions) for the enforcement of the equal rights of women and men - Stimulation of a social dialogue - Measures to increase people's awareness - Implementation of innovative projects and pilot projects - Research projects - Networking of existing initiatives and institutions - Cooperation with and lobbying of other actors The National Strategies involve the following individual initiatives, measures and activities of the different actors in Germany for the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action in the three main objectives named. Main Strategic Objective Participation of women in decision-making The participation of women in the political and social decision-making process may have constantly increased in recent years, but equal cooperation and contribution does not yet exist. Not even the high level of education and the increasing vocational orientation of women have been able to change this in Germany. Although considerable progress has been made in recent years as regards the participation of girls and women in education, there is still a particular need for action in the following areas: - Promotion of girls' access to a wide spectrum of subjects and careers, - Sensitisation of teachers and parents, - Overcoming of restrictive gender roles for girls and boys, - Promotion of the vocational development and promotion of women, - Increased participation and promotion of women in science and research, increased participation of women in decision-making and top management in the fields of education, science and technology. The changing of vocational training courses, the development of new occupations, the facilitation of women's access to a wide spectrum of occupations, including technical occupations, the promotion of girls' and women's access to technology and the natural sciences in the school and higher education sector, the improvement of vocational development opportunities and a marked increase in the proportion of women in top management positions in science and research, are particular objectives of the Federal Government's activities and the cooperation between the Federal Government and the Federal Lander Governments. Demands for an increase in the proportion of women in decision-making bodies and positions, their participation in the decision-making process in industry and commerce, politics and society, the demand for recognition and respect of their achievements for the preservation and survival of human society and its natural resources not only run through the relevant chapter of the Platform for Action on "Women in Power and Decision Making", but are also reflected in all the other chapters. The strategies listed below embrace measures to raise awareness, research projects, pilot projects, top-level talks, networking initiatives and the development of new instruments. The strategic objectives of the Platform for Action B 1: Ensure equal access to education B 3: Improve women's access to vocational training, science and technology and continuing education B 4: Develop non-discriminatory education and training E 4: Promote women's contribution to fostering a culture of peace F 1: Promote women's economic rights and independence, including access to employment, appropriate working conditions and control over economic resources F 4: Strengthen women's economic capacity and commercial networks G 1: Take measures to ensure women's equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making G 2: Increase women's capacity to participate in decision-making and leadership H 3: Generate and disseminate gender-disaggregated data and information for planning and evaluation J 1: Increase the participation and access of women to expression and decision-making in and through the media and new technologies of communication J 2: Promote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the media K 1: Involve women actively in environmental decision-making at all levels K 2: Integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development National implementation: Education and science (B 3/ B 4) Federal level In the context of the Bund/Lander Commission promotional objective for pilot trials on "Girls and Women in Education", pilot projects are primarily carried out in the school and higher education sector for the further development of coeducation in the school sector and the promotion of women's access to technology courses of study in order to provide young women with better opportunities for access to a wide spectrum of occupations and to participation in the shaping of the natural sciences and technology. Interdisciplinary expert conferences have been held on the topics and results of the projects and further developments in this sector, permitting a broad-based dialogue with all those interested in these subjects (e.g., with the support of the BMBF, expert congresses in cooperation with the trade unions, national and international projects, a congress on the further development of coeducation in Magdeburg in November 1995, expert conferences on individual pilot trials, e.g. in Thuringia, expert conferences of women's networks). This discussion process promotes the exchange of experience and the widespread implementation of the approaches developed in the pilot projects. In order to continue this process at the international level, the "Evaluation and Perspectives for the Promotion of Girls and Boys in European Schools" congress was held under the sponsorship of the BMBF and the EU in November 1996 as a German contribution to the European Year of Life-Long Learning. The results help to clarify the future objectives and possibilities for implementation in this sector. In the context of the BMBF's objectives for the promotion of women in education and research, the initiative "Women provide new impulses in technology" (sponsored by the BMBF, the Federal Institute for Employment and Deutsche Telekom AG) is of particular significance. This work integrates further actors in this sector. It is an exemplary model of the implementation and further development of the Beijing objectives, as it is intended to contribute to the equal participation of women in questions concerning the future of our societies. The development of information technologies and globalisation mean that progress can no longer be achieved at a national level alone. Against the backdrop of the results of the discussions in Beijing, the work has therefore been extended more to the higher education and research sectors and international cooperation has been intensified. New projects have been sponsored by the BMBF in this sector - for example, for the promotion of women's vocational opportunities in technical courses of study in cooperation with industry and commerce (Paderborn/llmenau) and in the informatics sector (Bremen). The follow-up conference to Beijing held in cooperation with UNESCO in Leipzig in January 1996 also served to determine the current status and to crystailise the new objectives. The new international orientation of the work of the initiative was intensified in cooperation with national and international networks. The joint presentation of 19 projects and activities of the initiative, the largest group of exhibitors at the Chancen 2000 forum at the CeBit Home exhibition (September 1996), provided new, effective impulses for continued cooperation in this sector. The reorganisation of the work of the coordination office for the initiative and the definition of the future key areas of work are intended to intensify this work. The subject "Women and technology is also to be more extensively integrated into general programmes and the international dialogue on this topic continued. One example of the integration of this subject into the specialist activities of the BMBF is the report "On technology in the age of globalisation - Results of the technology dialogue of the BMBF", submitted by the Federal Minister, Dr. Ruttgers, on 8 November 1996, which contains a number of recommendations for the specific promotion of women. In line with the Federal Research Report 1996, projects on women's topics are to be specifically integrated into the various key programmes of the BMBF. Furthermore, increased participation of women in the advisory and decision-making bodies of the Federal Government, as well as in scientific and research institutions, is targeted. A database is being established for this purpose. Above all, the conclusions and recommendations of the Bund/Lander Commission report on "Promotion of women in the scientific sector" are intended to contribute to the increased participation of women in top management positions in institutions of higher education and research institutions, as well as to the intensification of women's research in the various disciplines. This report was adopted by the Bund/Lander Commission on 25.3.1996 and taken note of by the heads of government of the Federal Government and the Federal Lander Governments on 18.12.1996. The Joint Universities Special Programme III (HSP III) entered into force in September 1996. It applies to the old and new Federal Lander from 1996 until the end of the year 2000 and replaces the previous HSP II and the Hochschulerneuerungsprogramm (Programme for the Renewal of Higher Education and Research). The programme has a volume of DM 3.6 billion, with the Federal side bearing over 50% of the costs. lt is intended to contribute to a marked increase in the proportion of women amongst scientific personnel in institutions of higher education and research institutions, particularly amongst post-doctoral studies and professorships. DM 720 million of the personnel-related promotion measures in the context of the HSP III are earmarked for women. DM 200 million are earmarked for specific measures for better reconciliation of scientific qualification and child-raising tasks and for promotion measures for women (grants for women returning to work and for post-graduate refresher courses, contracts for work, doctorate posts for women, grant supplements for women looking after children). In addition to the jointly defined measures, individual Federal Lander also implement programmes and measures for the promotion of women with considerable Federal funding from the funds of the HSP III. The conclusions and recommendations of the aforementioned Bund/Lander Commission report on the "Promotion of women in science" are reflected in the implementation of the HSP III. Regular reports are submitted on the implementation of the promotion of women in the context of the programme. Furthermore, the Bund/Lander Commission has planned for discussion of the subject "Promotion of women in science" to be a key area in the context of the annual talks on research policy in 1997. The Federal Lander Women's offices in Baden-Wurttemberg offer rhetoric courses for young female scientists and training courses for applications. All institutions of higher education are provided with information sheets for applications for higher education. Saxony is planning programmes for female scientists returning to work. In order to promote girls' access to subjects in which they are traditionally underrepresented, corresponding efforts are being intensified on the part of the Federal Lander. No all-embracing promotion measures exist as yet. Thuringian pilot trial "Promotion of education in the natural sciences and technology for girls in regular schools" The aim of the pilot trial is to interest female pupils in technical occupations and occupations involving technical competence and to promote the choice of such careers. These occupations offer better career opportunities in the long term, even for women. The ability to handle technology is now an indispensable element of occupational activity, even in so-called non-technical careers. Non-governmental organisations and the private sector The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is planning a congress on women in executive positions. The women's associations are lobbying the political actors. International level In cooperation with UNESCO, the Federal Government has already emphasised the importance of this subject by staging the 1 st international expert conference on the implementation of the objectives of Beijing under the title "Women shape the structural shift - Women's commitment in the technology sector" in Leipzig in 1996. The conference "Girls and boys in European schools", held in Berlin in November 1996, focused on the consideration of gender-related topics and the summing-up of experience from pilot trials in the context of the European Year of Life-Long Learning. National implementation: Increase in the proportion of women in executive positions (G 1 I G 2/ E 1 I E 4) Federal level The Federal Minister for Women will seek talks with the actors in politics and society in 1997, in order to stimulate a widespread social dialogue on the participation of women in executive positions. The equal participation of women in political decision-making positions is a key function for the de facto integration of the equal rights concept into political decision-making processes. An integration of the "gender approach" into all political concepts and programmes is necessary. In order to anchor this so-called "mainstreaming of the gender approach" even more strongly, a catalogue of criteria is to be developed for the increased consideration of gender-sensitive matters in the day-to-day work and planning of measures of the Federal Government. This is intended to achieve even greater sensitisation towards equal rights matters and the effects of measures on women in the Federal ministries. More consistent implementation of the Second Equal Rights Act is also imperative in order to arrive at an increase in the proportion of women in executive positions in the civil service. The Federal Foreign Office intends to markedly increase the proportion of women in ambassadorships in the coming years within the bounds of possibility. The increased consideration of women in proposals for the members of relevant national and international bodies must be safeguarded by consistent application of the Federal Bodies Law. This also applies to the members of delegations in the context of resolving conflicts and securing peace. In the context of the revision of the Maastricht Treaties, the Federal Government is advocating the embodiment of the equal rights principle in the EU treaties. In order to promote the participation of women in public life, the Federal Government has initiated a pilot project on voluntary political commitment. The imparting of theoretical knowledge and practical experience at various levels of politics, in the form of series of seminars and in cooperation with women's associations from different sectors of society, for example, is intended to improve the prerequisites for the voluntary commitment of women in politics, as well as in other voluntary executive functions. The project will run until the end of the coming year and the overall costs will amount to approx. DM 5.5 million. In order to promote the political participation of women, the BMBF is promoting a research project on the "Situation and future of women in politics - The task of political education", the results of which are to be submitted, analysed and implemented in 1997. The Federal Government published the film "Pluck up the courage, woman" with accompanying pedagogic material at the end of 1996. The subject of this project is a training programme for women's groups with the aim of boosting women and encouraging them to use their abilities in a suitable way both at the workplace and in the social sector. The costs for this amount to DM 691,000.00 The Federal Government's work objective "Masculine identity and equal rights" is intended to sensitise men towards the changed and changing framework conditions caused by the increased participation of women in the political and social decision-making process. A study on the role of the father in the family has been initiated. The project will run until 1999, with costs amounting to around DM 1 million. Material on the subject "Girls and boys - equal rights, not equally made", which was developed in 1996 for teaching in primary schools, contributes to raising awareness. This is intended to counteract the definition of gender stereotypes early on in life. The costs for this amount to approx. DM 700,000. Corresponding material for upper secondary school is planned for 1997. The material for lower secondary school published in 1994/95 was reprinted in autumn 1996. This means that school material on equal rights will be available for pupils of all ages by the end of 1997. The Federal Government is contributing to deepening knowledge on the situation of women in all areas of life with the new edition of the brochure "Women in the Federal Republic of Germany" in 1997. The costs for this amount to DM 450,000.00 The Federal Lander Saxony is planning to use regional continuing education concept developers in the context of in-service continuing education. The promotion of in-service management training takes top priority. Baden-Wurttemberg is planning the expansion of continuing education measures in the context of adult education. The Ministry of the Interior offers seminars for women. Bavaria is planning to draw up initial equal rights concepts by 01.07.1997. Thuringia is planning to pass an equal rights act. Non-governmental organisations and the private sector A Women's Network for Peace, established as a consequence of the 4th World Conference on Women, advocates the increased consideration of women's concerns in war and crisis zones by means of international cooperation. In December 1996, the German Sports Federation decided to increase the number of women in its bodies by means of quotas. The women's organisations lobby governmental and business actors. The women's exhibition TOP '97 is an important instrument for the networking of women's initiatives and women's fields of activity. International level The sphere of action on the "Participation of women and men in decision-making processes and executive positions" is an important objective of the EU's medium-term programme for action on equal opportunities 1996 - 2000. The participation of women and women in decision-making are also central themes of a Conference of the Dutch Presidency in February 1997, which the responsible heads of department of the ministries from the EU Member States will be attending. National implementation: The representation of women and women's affairs in public (J 1 / J 2) Federal level The media contribute to shaping the whole of society. This applies not only as regards the image of the genders and the understanding of their roles, but also to the way people live together. Although more women are represented in decision-making sectors, they are still inadequately integrated into the design of programmes and top management positions in the media With few exceptions, the media continue to present an imbalanced picture of the many varied ways of life of women and the contributions made by them to society in a changing world. The Federal Government has no possibility of influencing the media owing to the constitution. However, it can support measures which help raise awareness. The BMFSFJ (Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth) is planning a study on the "Representation of women and the treatment of women's affairs on television" in 1997. 20 years after the epochal study by Prof. Erich Kuchenhoff, an overall analysis of the representation of women and the treatment of women's affairs on television is to be undertaken for the first time again. The aim is to document and analyse different images of women and role stereotypes, as well as their different presentation. The treatment of women-related matters in different television programmes is also to be portrayed. In this context, the immense changes in the broadcasting provider sector are to be considered A comparison with the situation in 1975 is intended to show the extent to which the representation of women has changed as regards the equality of women and men. The study will start in 1997 and run for two years. National implementation Women in the decision-making process for environmental policy (K 1) Women are to be particularly motivated to make a contribution in the environmental sector. With the compilation of a "Who's who in the women's environmental sector" compendium, the Federal Government is attempting to improve the exchange of information on the existing fields of activity for women in the environmental sector. Furthermore, the compendium is intended to provide an overview of all female experts in the field of "women and the environment" in German-speaking countries and present their spheres and key areas of work. As the results of research projects by women are often not widely distributed, this compendium also helps their dissemination. A loose-leaf collection to be updated and supplemented regularly is to be published and also offered as a database, as well as in the Internet if required. The project began at the end of 1996 and the costs amount to DM 55,000.00 The Federal Lander A project entitled "A holiday on the farm - Environmental protection" is planned in Thuringia. Women play a leading role in planning and project work in Thuringia, as well as in political bodies in the environmental sector. Main Strategic Objective Improvement of women's situation and commerce and on the labour market Action must be taken in order to improve women's situation in industry and commerce and on the labour market, particularly as regards the integration of women into the labour market, the promotion of women at the workplace, the promotion of women setting up in business, the reconciliation of family and career and the flexibility of working hours and the workplace, as well as the expansion of the occupational spectrum for girls and women. Furthermore, action must also be taken to increase the independent social security of women, even independently of gainful employment. The strategic objectives of the Platform for Action A1: Review, adopt and maintain macroeconomic policies and development strategies that address the needs and efforts of women in poverty A: Revise laws and administrative practices to ensure women's equal rights and access to economic resources A3: Provide women with access to savings and credit mechanisms and institutions A4: Develop gender-based methodologies and conduct research to address the feminisation of poverty B1: Ensure equal access to education B2: Eradicate illiteracy among women B3: Improve women's access to vocational training, science and technology and continuing education B4: Develop non-discriminatory education and training B5: Allocate sufficient resources for and monitor the implementation of educational reforms B6: Promote life-long education and training for girls and women F1: Promote women's economic rights and independence, including access to employment, appropriate working conditions and control over economic resources F2: Facilitate women's equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade F3: Provide business services, training and access to markets, information and technology, particularly to low-income women F4: Strengthen women's economic capacity and commercial networks F5: Eliminate occupational segregation and all forms of employment discrimination F6: Promote harmonisation of work and family responsibilities for women and men H2: Integrate gender perspectives in legislation, public policies, programmes and projects I2: Ensure equality and non-discrimination under the law and in practice K2: Integrate gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development L1- Eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child L2: Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls L4: Eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and training L6: Eliminate the economic exploitation of child labour and protect young girls at work L8: Promote the girl child's awareness of and participation in social, economic and political life National Implementation Social security of women (A 1 / F 6) Federal level A fifth of the world population, or 1.3 billion people, have to live on less than one dollar per day. These people live in poverty and their existence is immediately threatened. At the 4th World Conference on Women, the Federal Government agreed to allocate a total of 40 million US dollars for legal and sociopolitical consulting projects taking the needs and abilities of women into particular consideration between 1996 and 2000 in the context of bilateral technical cooperation. This obligation is being rapidly implemented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. In addition to financing projects of private actors, DM 13.2 million was allocated to such governmental technical cooperation projects in 1996 alone. The BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) integrates the promotion of women or the gender approach into all development cooperation projects. The aim of equality between women and men is a cross-section task. This means that the impact of all concepts and measures on the situation of women in the country involved are investigated. The existing concept for the promotion of women will be developed into the "Concept for the promotion of the equal participation of women and men in development processes" (gender concept) in 1997. The BMFSFJ is carrying out a pilot project "Help for single homeless women" to support homeless women. Homelessness or so-called vagabondism is becoming an increasing problem for women. Approx. 50,000 single destitute women are currently without a home in the old Federal Lander alone. Following on from the study on "Single women without a home" on the causes, living conditions and need for help specific to women, sponsored by the former Federal Ministry for Women and Youth, targeted measures for overcoming the social difficulties of this group of people are to be developed and tested. The objectives of the pilot project are: - low-threshold offers in the form of women's meeting places or day centres, - supervised living in small groups or individual flats and - the offer of educational advice and possibilities for work and qualification. These will expand the traditional, more male-oriented system of help of forms of housing and rehabilitation workshops and move it in the direction of mobile services and forms of housing especially for the group of homeless women. The project will run until the end of 1997. The funds spent on it total DM 1.45 million. The improvement of the independent social security of women who have interrupted or given up their employment, or were never employed, owing to raising children or caring for relatives will contribute to preventing the poverty of women in old age. The Federal Government is striving for the increased consideration of child-raising periods in pensions law. This is not least required by the Federal Constitutional Court. The Federal Government has set up a commission for the further development of the pensions insurance system which also deals with proposals for the further development of child-raising periods. This government commission will submit its report on 24.01.1997. National implementation: Training and continuing education of women (B1-B6) A special course needs to be set in the field of education to improve the situation of women in industry and commerce and on the labour market. The Beijing Platform for Action encourages the Federal Government to continue its activities towards expanding the vocational spectrum and improving the career development of women in the context of its education policy. Progress in overcoming the gender-sensitive division of the labour market, the entry of women into previously male-dominated occupations and positions offering promotion is a protracted process the world over. It requires a change in thinking and fundamental changes in attitude in order to open up the entire range of decision-making and development options to girls and women for their career and life plans. The measures in the school sector developed together with the Federal Lander in the context of pilot projects have already been described in the section on "Education and science". These experiences are to be widely implemented. This process is supported by the Federal Government with measures for the national and international exchange of experience, as well as information measures in the context of the initiative "Women provide new impulses in technology". The BMBF promotes all-embracing studies for the comprehensive analysis of the career choice behaviour of women and their occupational development possibilities. These studies serve as the basis for systematic reporting on the occupational chances of women in the Vocational Education Report. A detailed section on the vocational training and employment of women is planned in this report for 1997. Progress in this sector is also of fundamental significance for international reporting. In addition, an expert report on equal opportunities in vocational education in the new Federal Lander is being drawn up, as well as a study of innovative concepts in the vocational training of women in the Federal Republic of Germany as a whole. This and other studies primarily serve to analyse obstacles to access and particular burdens for women in occupational sectors or promotion levels dominated by men to date and to develop specific solution approaches. The Concerted Action in Continuing Education (KAW) of the BMBF is exemplary for the dialogue demanded in Beijing between all participants for the improvement of the training and continuing education of women. A variety of impulses for the improvement of the continuing education of women have been provided by this action in recent years. Against the backdrop of expert conferences and recommendations of the KAW, the following sectors are of particular significance: - Political continuing education of women to increase their political participation (results of the workshop discussion "Interference wanted: political continuing education of women"); - Continuing education of women in technology-oriented careers (starting points also exist in connection with the initiative "Women provide new impulses in technology" and the promotion programmes at the European level [LEONARDO; IRIS; NOW]); - Learning and communication patterns of women and men in continuing education. In cooperation with the ILO (International Labour Organisation), the UN held a meeting of experts in December 1996 to concretely define the statements of the Platform for Action in the area "Education and life-long learning of women". The strategies developed together with the BMBF are to be developed further in the context of the UNESCO World Conference on Adult Education to be held in Hamburg in July 1997. This conference is also intended to help provide an overview of the continuing education approaches and results in the area of women's education work and the continuing education of women in the Federal Republic of Germany to date. Following the consultations in Hamburg, a marked focus is to be placed on women in the framework of this World Conference and an integrated presentation of innovative approaches in Germany is planned. Against the backdrop of the work of the Concerted Action in Continuing Education to date for the continuing education of women, and the experiences of the European networks, the aim is to strengthen and further develop the existing network structures for the vocational training and continuing education of women both nationally and internationally. This is also one of the most important results of the Platform for Action of the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing. The BMBF has therefore commissioned the Federal Institute for Vocational Education with carrying out an up-to-date census of innovative projects for the vocational training of women in Germany which offers the basis for continued cooperation and integration of the network structures in LEONARDO. The project "Network of new occupations for women in Europe" builds on the experiences of the thematic networks of the previous German NOW and IRIS projects. Cooperation at the national level and the expansion of the network in cooperation with France and Austria concentrate on the following areas: New technologies and multimedia in the continuing education of women; Setting-up new businesses; Continuing education of women in an occupational environment; Development of quality criteria for the continuing education of women; New occupational fields for women. Furthermore, the following are of particular importance for future work: Measures with a broad-based impact for the promotion of the career development and advancement of women, in order to prepare the available highly qualified potential for the imminent appointment of new executives. Experiences from the sector of further training for headmistresses, as well as from Great Britain and Denmark, show that continuing education can provide an important "impulse towards promotion" in this context. Together with the EU, the BMBF has promoted the establishment of an office to award a "Total E-Quality Commendation" in the Federal Republic of Germany in the context of the discussion on quality assurance and quality management. The first award of the commendation to companies in the Federal Republic of Germany will take place in early 1997. The sector "New businesses set up by women" is of key importance in view of the economic restructuring process and there is particular need for action here. On the basis of the recommendations of the KAW and the available research results, talks between female experts are to take place at the BMBF at the beginning of 1997 in order to develop prerequisites and perspectives for further approaches. The World Conference of Small and Medium-Size Companies 1996 in Stockholm and the first award of a European prize to an innovative women's company have showed the contribution women are able to make to economic growth through new ideas and concepts. There is an important potential for the creation of new jobs in this sector. The introduction of the new "Meister-BAf"G" (Upgrading Training Assistance Act) in 1996 and its regulations on participation in continuing education measures for women with children, including during child-raising leave, is intended to contribute to an improvement in the career development of women and their participation in master's diploma examinations. Another objective is the sector of development of new media, telelearning and telework approaches. National implementation: Reconciliation of family and career or training (B 1 /B 4/B6/F1 /F3/F6) Federal level: One of the objectives of the Federal Government's equal rights policy is the reconciliation of family and career. The aim is to increase work to raise awareness and to encourage men to reduce their working hours to the benefit of their family or to claim child-raising leave, for example. The reconciliation of family and career may no longer be a matter which only involves women. The Federal Government sees further need for action to support the reconciliation of family and career. One way of doing this is to advise companies on flexible working hours models. The pilot project "Advice on mobile time - Qualified pant-time work for women and men" of the BMFSFJ aims to promote the spread of qualified part-time work, i.e. particularly in specialist and executive positions, in private industry and commerce. In the context of this project, companies are offered competent advice during the development and organisation of flexible part-time models. If necessary, companies can call upon the working hours advisory service to elaborate solutions tailored to their business. Approx. 100 companies are to be integrated. The experiences of the companies with the introduction of qualified part-time work are documented and made available to other companies as empirical knowledge. The project will run until autumn 1998, with costs amounting to around DM 2.8 million. The BMFSFJ regularly holds the national "The pro-family company" competition. Together with trade unions and employers, companies throughout Germany are requested to present their positive experiences with pro-family measures. The aim is to use these tried-and-tested examples to encourage other companies to introduce or expand pro-family measures, thus giving more consideration to working mothers and fathers. The Federal Lander In order to ensure qualified school, vocational or higher education, as well as continuing education, the reconciliation of child care and training must be improved further. The reconciliation of vocational training with family tasks must also be facilitated. The Federal Lander, municipalities and actors are attempting to expand the day-care possibilities to meet the need, particularly for children under 3 and over 6 years of age, and to make the opening times more flexible. In Bavaria, an amendment of Art. 131, Para. 4, of the Bavarian Constitution is planned, which still prescribes particular instruction of girls in baby care, child raising and household matters. Non-governmental organisations and the private sector The parties to collective bargaining agreements are also concerned with the task of adjusting employment policies with the aim of reorganising the working process in order to promote a fairer division of family tasks. They should strive to include pro-family structures in collective bargaining negotiations. Companies are increasingly agreeing to greater flexibility in working life and working hours. National implementation Professional promotion of disabled women (F 5) Federal level The BMFSFJ has begun the development and testing of curricular elements for the qualification of female consultants for disabled women as part of its efforts towards the professional promotion of disabled women. The Third Report of the Federal Government on the Situation of the Disabled in the Federal Republic of Germany confirmed the double discrimination against disabled women - the discrimination as a disabled person and the discrimination as a woman - and emphasised the necessity of competent help and advice to improve their social integration. The project wants to take up the first positive experiences with peer counselling (affected persons counsel other affected persons) in Germany and contribute to its qualification. Against the backdrop that personal affliction as a prerequisite for the qualified counselling of disabled persons should not be underestimated, but is also not sufficient in itself, a woman specific curriculum for imparting theoretical and practical knowledge of all the necessary information for counselling disabled women is to be elaborated and tested. The result should create training material for the further training of disabled female consultants as well as a guide for practical use by female consultants. The project will run from 1996 to 1999 and cost around DM 1 million. Furthermore, the BMFSFJ has commissioned a scientific study to investigate the situation of disabled women and demonstrate approaches for solutions specifically for women. The family, social and socioeconomic conditions, for example, are being researched. The study is expected to be completed in 1998 and will cost DM 620,000. National implementation: Women's access to training and careers (B 1 / F 1 / C 2) Federal level Quality management and the promotion of women are closely linked in their economic aspects. The Federal Government promotes a campaign, partly with financial support, which honours companies with a personnel policy oriented towards equal opportunities. The first "Total Equality Commendations" will be awarded by an independent body at the beginning of 1997. The commendation documents that equal opportunities result in the efficient use of personnel and improved quality in the company, which in turn ensures competitiveness. The award is intended to promote the independent initiative of the companies. In order to improve women's access to vocational education, science and technology, as well as continuing education, increased recognition of non-formal education possibilities is necessary. One approach to this is the development of possibilities for the recognition of qualifications obtained while engaging in an voluntary activity. The BMFSFJ pilot project "Women in voluntary social functions" shows examples where voluntary activity has had the effect of shortening the periods of practical training during a course of study. With the conclusion of this pilot project and the submittal of the assessment, financed by BMFSFJ funds, of several thousand "certificates of voluntary activity" which 11 leading women's associations and charitable organisations are introducing on a voluntary basis in 1997, further information facilitating the initiation of contact with the Federal Lander Ministers responsible for educational matters will probably be available in mid-1998. The Federal Lander Saxony considers it necessary to re-assess housework and family duties. National implementation: Equal rights of women and men in working life (F 2/ F 3 / F 4 / F 5/ B 4) Federal level In order to support women in the difficult situation on the labour market in the new Federal Lander, the BMFSFJ is promoting the pilot project "New Ways of Procuring Jobs". The aim of this pilot project in selected districts is to - activate the population, - strengthen regional industry and commerce in a lasting manner and - create new jobs using community-based methods. The basis for this pilot project is the linking of all relevant fields of politics. The establishment of interdisciplinary structures will stimulate the administration, which is organised in sectors, to specifically use and direct intangible and financial incentives to create new forms of work and employment by bringing together citizen's interests, resources, people and ideas. The extent to which permanent bodies for "regional development from the bottom up" could be established in both the pilot districts and other regions is to be examined against the backdrop of experiences to date. After three years, the pilot project was extended by a further two at the end of 1996 with financial funding from the Federal Lander and the districts. The total costs are approx. DM 8.8 million . The consequences of a difficult labour market situation have different effects on women in structurally weak, rural regions than in conurbation areas. Together with the German Association of Rural Women, one of the largest sponsors of adult education in rural areas, new approaches for the creation of women's jobs in rural areas are thus to be developed and tested. One objective of the BMFSFJ project "Women shape structural developments in rural regions" is the support and supervision of the establishment of independent businesses in the service and production sector. Furthermore, existing women's jobs, for example in production and marketing cooperatives, are to be safeguarded. One new aspect of this project is that already existing professional, agricultural structures are to be used in addition to existing association structures. The project began in 1996 and will run for 3 years, with costs amounting to DM 995,000. The increased use of technologies is necessary in order to improve the educational possibilities and the economic chances of women as regards their return to working life, particularly in rural areas. The Federal Government has founded the initiative "Telework" to this end. The term "telework" means activities at an external workplace equipped with information technology terminals, located decentrally in terms of business organisation and connected to the client by means of electronic communication networks. Among other things, the measures comprise an information and motivation campaign, including a consulting package for medium-size companies, the promotion of telework projects in the context of regional promotion and the elimination of legal uncertainties when dealing with telework. Furthermore, the BMFSFJ has conceived a pilot project for teleworking via telelearning: "Decentral forms of work and gainful employment as a possibility for occupational reintegration". A pilot project is to assess the central problems of telework associated with these forms of work and gainful employment which involve specific potentials/risks against the backdrop of the occupational reintegration process of women. The project is to begin in 1997. Various pilot projects by the Federal Government, including the project for the promotion of telework and the project "Private leasing-out of employees as temporary workers as an instrument of pilot labour market policy measures for women", serve to improve women's opportunities for returning to working life after an interruption of gainful employment. In order to facilitate women's access to the ordinary labour market, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has commissioned the testing and analysis of the instrument of leasing out employees as temporary workers under aspects of women's and family policy to see if it can provide additional support for the occupational reintegration of women. In this way, possible prejudices of employers against female workers could be eliminated and sensitisation towards the particular abilities of women on the labour market (organisational talent, flexibility, social competence) achieved, on the one hand, while women can be supported while embarking on a family-compatible career, on the other. The costs of the pilot programme, which began in autumn 1996 and will run for 1 year, amount to DM 1.320,000. There are increasing numbers of women with very good vocational qualifications who are or were successfully active in various occupations, who have many years' experience in working life and in executive positions and who are also willing to use their experience and knowledge to support younger women. By establishing "Networks of female experts: women and careers", the BMFSFJ wants to take a new approach to the promotion of women in working life. Women seeking advice should be able to turn to networks of female experts and receive counselling and help in matters of vocational orientation and continuing development. Such networks of female experts could contribute to revealing the professional and personal competences of the older, experienced women to the public and promoting an inter-generation dialogue. Comparable offers, e.g. the senior expert service, already exist in other areas and these experiences are to be integrated. The measure is intended to promote the founding and establishment of networks of female experts. It will begin in 1997, run for 1 « years and cost around DM 180,000. The Act on the Promotion of Women in the framework of the Second Equal Rights Act of the Federal Government obliges the Federal administration to appoint commissioners for women's affairs. Work aids are elaborated for them. Commissioners for women's affairs, or women who wish to stand for election as commissioners for women's affairs, have a great need for information as regards tasks, activity, release from work, etc. In connection with the Interministerial Working Group of Commissioners for Women's Affairs in Supreme Federal Authorities, an event to which interested commissioners for women's affairs are to be invited is to be held as an introduction to imparting information. Furthermore, a brochure for commissioners for women's affairs is to be compiled in order to give them a working aid on the most important questions relating to their work. It will probably be completed in 1997 and will cost DM 150,000. The promotion of the occupational independence of women, the encouragement of women to set up their own business, and the counselling of women setting up in business and female entrepreneurs contribute to the equal rights of women and men in working life. The BMFSFJ has introduced measures for the support of the occupational independence of women through municipal/regional economic promotion as a contribution to the equal rights of women in working life. Increasing numbers of women in Germany are deciding to take the path of occupational independence. Almost one in three companies today is established by a woman. Against this backdrop, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth is striving to attract women to forms of occupational independence which ensure livelihood by means of a specific approach to the target group and to support women in their plans to set up businesses by a corresponding service offer of municipal/regional economic promotion. Economic promotion is predestined to take on a special key role in addressing, counselling and supporting people willing to set up businesses, as it has important basic and planning data at its disposal, or can provide access to it, on the one hand, and can act as a sound negotiation partner and contact with all relevant institutions for setting up a business (associations of regional industry and commerce/banks, etc.), on the other. Corresponding measures are planned for 1997. The integration of women into the labour market, i.e. an active labour market policy connected with the promotion of women, will be a central concern of the Federal Government's equal rights policy over the next few years. The reform of the Employment Promotion Act planned by the Federal Government is to embody the promotion of women as an aim of active employment promotion. The appointment of commissioners for women's affairs at all administrative levels in the employment offices and the particular promotion of women and men returning to work, as well as improved social protection of part-time employees, are to form further areas of regulation in women's policy. The Federal Lands As of 1997, Bavaria will also promote preparation and counselling offers for women setting up businesses in the context of the labour market fund created by the Bavarian employment pact. Bavaria is undertaking efforts to further improve the cooperation between schools and career advice services, particularly with a view to encouraging girls for technical training courses. Saxony is planning initiatives for the sensitisation of career advice staff and teachers, as well as measures at schools for the expansion of girl's career prospects. International level In the context of development cooperation, the Federal Government is increasingly trying to promote women in the sector of small and medium-size entrepreneurship with the help of programmes for setting up businesses and by revising the existing instruments for financing, for example. Main Strategic Objective Human rights and the elimination of violence against women and girls The subject of "Violence against women" has played an important role for many years in Germany. The Federal Government has commissioned and published a multitude of scientific research projects and studies, as well as promoting pilot projects, on this topic. In addition, numerous studies and projects have been carried out by the Federal Lander, the churches and autonomous women's groups. There is still a need for action in certain areas in the context of implementing the Platform for Action of Beijing. Particular objectives will be international cooperation, the field of victim protection, measures for sensitisation in the area of prevention and networking. The individual strategies envisaged encompass measures for raising awareness, research, pilot projects, the creation of new cooperative schemes, a review of the set of legal instruments and top-level talks. The strategic objectives of the platform D 1: Take integrated measures to prevent and eliminate violence against women D 2: Study the causes and consequences of violence against women and the effectiveness of preventive measures D 3: Eliminate trafficking in women and assist victims of violence due to prostitution and trafficking E 3: Promote non-violent forms of conflict resolution and reduce the incidence of human rights abuse in conflict situations E 5: Provide protection, assistance and training to refugee women, other displaced women in need of international protection and internally displaced women F 5: Eliminate occupational segregation and all forms of employment discrimination I1: Promote and protect the human rights of women through the full implementation of all human rights instruments, especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women I2: Ensure equality and non-discrimination under the law and in practice I3: Achieve legal literacy L7: Eradicate violence against the girl child National implementation: Prevention of and protection against violence (D 1 + D 2) Federal level In the opinion of the Federal Government, violence against women can only be sensibly reduced by means of an all-embracing policy for promoting equal opportunities for women and girls. Traditions and modes of behaviour can only be changed by changing people's consciousness and by means of learning processes. Active public relations work, as well as expert conferences, campaigns and the publication of material, is particularly important to this goal. Scientific research project for the revision of course material for "Further training of female staff in women's refuges" The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth commissioned the elaboration of further training material for female staff in women's refuges which it published in 1989 and which serve as a supplement to the professional competence of female staff in women's refuges. The material, which is now six years old, is now being revised against the backdrop of the changed information needs of female staff in women's refuges, new legal principles and new research results on the aforementioned topics. The utility of the new teaching units, some of which may have to be developed from scratch, is to be checked by means of trial seminars and the units submitted as partial curricula, together with the learning material, in the form of a publication. The project began in 1996 and the costs will amount to approx. DM 224,000.00 De facto legal study of the allocation of marital homes in the event of separation (Art. 1361 b BGB - German Civil Code) Forensic practice as regards applications and proceedings pursuant to Art. 1361 b BGB is to be studied. Particular attention is paid to whether the interests of the mentally and physically abused wife are taken into account sufficiently. The study aims to clarify whether the prerequisites for claims of "severe hardship" are defined explicitly enough, whether facilitation of evidence should be introduced and/or the term "child welfare" incorporated in the wording of Art. 1361 b BGB. The project will run until 1998 with costs amounting to DM 150,000.00 An intervention project in Berlin is specifically concerned with domestic violence and is attempting to institutionalise cooperation between all local projects and institutions dealing with violence with the following aims: - Effective protection for abused women and their children, - Support of abused women during criminal investigations against their partners, - Instigation of criminal investigations against the offender with the possibility of subsequent court proceedings, - Development and implementation of behavioural training courses for the offenders. This project is intended to contribute to the more effective protection of affected women by means of cooperation. The project is sponsored by the Berliner Initiative gegen Gewalt gegen Frauen e.V. (Berlin Initiative against Violence against Women). The project began in autumn 1996 and is financed by the Federal Government and the Berlin Senate. The total expenditure of the Federal Government is DM 1.38 million. The Federal Government continues to advocate an amendment of Art. 177 of the Penal Code (punishability of marital rape). The fundamental changes in the bill, which is still going through parliament, include: - Incorporation of marital rape and sexual coercion as punishable acts - Expansion of the definition of "violence" - Expansion of the definition of rape to include all forms of penetration and other degrading sexual acts - The wife's right to oppose the prosecution of her husband. Within the Federal Government's public campaign on violence against women, not only women, but also men, are addressed and actively integrated for the first time. While the objective as regards men is on sensitisation and an initial confrontation with the topic of violence, the main aim for women is to intensify and network "on-the-spot" work by and for women. The campaign ran from 1993 until the end of 1996, beginning with an expert congress In 1993: "Violence against women - a subject for men". 53 regional campaigns were initiated in all Federal Lander. In addition, a youth competition entitled "Where does the joke stop" was carried out and a media package and mobile exhibition for schools created. The campaign concluded with a one-day expert congress for police and judicial employees on the subject "Violence against women in marriage and partnerships". Problems and possibilities for action by the police and the courts which are to be taken into account in the continued work in this area were discussed. The costs of the campaign amount to approx. DM 4.1 million. The limited financing of a coordination office for women's refuges, sponsored by the Paritaitischer Wohifahrtsverband, is planned. The work of women's refuges is thus to be networked at the national level for the first time. An educational brochure for doctors and counsellors on the subject "Circumcision of girls and women" will be published at the beginning of 1997. A counselling guide for counselling centres (Opferhilfe Hamburg e.V. - Hamburg Victims Aid) is to be published in early 1997. Funds from the BMFSFJ: approx. DM 260,000. The Federal Lander Women's affairs are being given greater weight in the reform concept for the further training of police officers in Baden-Wurttemberg. The Ministry of the Interior offers seminars for women. Bavaria is planning to create a "lawyer for victims". Bavaria is planning to implement the pedagogic concepts developed from the guideline for teachers in schools of all categories. These refer to the expedient handling of gender sensitive differences in the developing interests of youths. Furthermore, Bavaria is planning to implement the "Principles for the protection of the dignity of women and men at the workplace" in all Bavarian State Ministries and subordinate authorities. Saxony is planning to continue the central continuing education event of the Land police academy and Fachhochschule on the subjects of "Sexualised violence against women" or "Violence against women in a marriage/partnership/family", for example, and to supplement it with decentral continuing education on the subject "Violence against girls and women". In order to increase the sensitisation of all police officers, whether male or female, towards the situation of victims as early as during training, Thuringia plans to integrate corresponding teaching material in the syllabuses. Thuringia is planning to sensitise the public by means of information activities on the part of the police with the aim of increasing people's willingness to report crimes, reducing the victims' fear of the prosecution authorities and publicising special offers of help by the police (particularly by the special investigation departments and the Commissioners for Victims of Crime); further suitable measures to increase people's willingness to report crimes are currently being investigated. The post of "Commissioner for Victims of Crime" is to be retained, even after the central police headquarters are disbanded. The possibility of appointing a Commissioner for Victims of Crime in every regional police headquarters is to be investigated further. Saxony is planning to transform the special departments for "Violence against women" into departments for "Violence in the immediate social environment" and to establish corresponding divisions in all departments of public prosecution (primarily staffed by female public prosecutors with regular possibilities for further training). Saxony is planning to elaborate information in an Interministerial Discussion Group focusing on "Violence against women and girls", as well as at a round table against violence. In the event of positive testing of legal aid, counselling aid and exemption from court costs, Saxony is planning to establish more counselling centres for victims at the social services of the regional courts. Non-governmental organisations and the private sector The work of women's organisations contributes to the sensitisation of the public towards this subject. National implementation: Trafficking in women (D 3) Federal level The Federal Government is planning to establish a national working group on "Trafficking in women", in order to achieve a coordinated and integrated political approach to combat trafficking in women. As the demands in the area of trafficking in women currently under debate affect the responsibilities of various authorities and levels, the working group will be composed of female and male representatives from the affected departments, the Federal Lander, the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation and 2 counselling centres for trafficked women, these also representing the non-governmental organisations. The aims of the working group are the prevention and combating of trafficking in women, as well as the humane treatment of victims. This aim is to be achieved by means of the exchange of information and experience, discussion of the different methods used in the Federal Lander, elaboration of practical recommendations and by acting as a contact office for enquiries from Germany and abroad. The working group is to be headed by the State Secretary of the BMFSFJ. To launch the national working group on "Trafficking in women", talks between the Minister for Women and top-level representatives of the churches and the aid and counselling organisations active in this field are planned in order to consider further measures. Brochures for the education and information of women in their home countries are currently being compiled. These brochures are intended to provide information in various languages on the situation which women can expect here. They will be completed at the beginning of 1997. "Solwodi" is compiling an expertise on behalf of the Federal Government with the aim of analysing the practice of the witness protection programmes of the Federal Lander to date and submitting proposals for the expansion of the programmes to include the comprehensive protection of female witnesses in trials concerning trafficking in human beings, if necessary. The project will run from December 1996 to April 1997 with costs amounting to approx. DM 59,000.00 A nationwide pilot project entitled "Counselling of trafficked Eastern European women" is planned for 1997. The Federal Lander Saxony is preparing an agreement with the Czech Republic in the context of cross-border cooperation. The GFMK (Conference of Ministers and Senators of the Federal Lander for Equal Opportunities and Women) is demanding that the Federal Lander improve the protection of female witnesses in trials concerning trafficking in human beings by granting a right of residence during the German criminal proceedings for which they are available as witnesses, and for the duration of their endangerment following the trial; the right to accessory prosecution for victims of trafficking in human beings is also demanded. National implementation: Human rights (E 5) Federal level The Federal Government is making violations of women's human rights a topic at all political levels and is steadfastly advocating implementation of the resolutions of the 4th World Conference on Women. The embassies in the respective host countries pay particular attention to the human rights situation of women. The Federal Government supports all measures which help to enforce human rights protection for women and promote equal treatment by means of their bilateral and multilateral human rights activities. The enforcement of women's human rights is an important basis for equal rights in the political, economic, social and cultural sectors. The Federal Government is advocating that the most important international human rights convention relating to women's rights, the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), be ratified and implemented by more countries. The Federal Government files objections against reservations which contradict the goals of the convention. The Federal Lander Thuringia is planning to elaborate a "social concept" for the asylum-seekers, refugees from civil wars, Jewish emigrants and repatriates of German origin, accommodated in Thuringian establishments, in order to investigate and support possibilities for the integrated organisation of leisure time incorporating the local population. International level In summer 1996, the Federal Minister for Women held talks with the Secretary-General of the UN on the implementation of the demands of the Platform for Action in the field of the protection of women's human rights. The Federal Government will continue to support the UN in the coordination of human rights policy in its various organs and bodies and advocate the incorporation of women's human rights in this policy. For the next few years, the Federal Republic of Germany will be a member of the Commission for the Legal Status of Women of the United Nations, consisting of 45 members. It will actively participate in implementing the Platform for Action at the international level. National implementation: Discrimination at the workplace (F 5) Federal level Implementation of the Act for the Protection of Employees by means of specific further training of employees responsible for personnel, works councils and staff councils, by means of public relations work and by establishing contact offices and supervisory centres, both in-house and externally. The Federal Lander A Saxon draft of an Employment Contract Act, in which the regulations for the protection of employees are to be combined, among other things, has been submitted to the Bundesrat.