Alice Schwarzer slams Germany's stagnant feminism in fiery election critique
Alice Schwarzer, the prominent feminist activist, has sharply criticised Germany's political and legal systems in recent interviews. She described the election campaign as lacking genuine feminist progress and called for women to take a more active role in driving change.
Her comments also addressed the ongoing Pelicot trial, where dozens of men face accusations of sexual violence, and she questioned why so few convictions occur in such cases.
Schwarzer condemned the current election campaign as a display of outdated macho behaviour rather than a push for feminist policies. She dismissed recent debates, such as the controversy over politician Habel's remarks about girls, as mere electoral tactics rather than meaningful action.
On gender-inclusive language, she labelled recent practices as absurd. Instead, she urged women to focus on the one-third of men she believes are open to progress, describing them as either feminists or at least theoretically supportive. The remaining two-thirds, she argued, are split between 'machos' and 'cowardly fence-sitters'. Her critique extended to Germany's legal system, where she highlighted that only 1 in 100 rapists face conviction. She expressed shock at the involvement of 'perfectly ordinary men' in the Pelicot case, where a husband received a 10-year prison sentence in 2025, though the total number of prosecutions remains unclear. Schwarzer called on women to stop ignoring these issues and examine them more closely. She also placed hope in Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, urging stronger action against the trade in knockout drugs, which has been linked to sexual violence cases.
Schwarzer's remarks underscore her long-standing demand for systemic change in how society addresses gender inequality and violence. She has repeatedly stressed that progress depends on holding both men and institutions accountable.
Her focus remains on mobilising women to challenge entrenched attitudes while pushing for legal reforms that increase convictions in sexual violence cases.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
