CDU's gender quota shows uneven progress as female membership declines
The decline in female membership is highlighted in the CDU's latest gender equality report, as reported by Handelsblatt (Thursday edition).
According to the findings, only 95,505 women remain party members as of October 2025—down from over 96,000 a year ago and more than 100,000 in 2022. While the proportion of women in the party has seen a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points, reaching 26.6%, the overall trend remains concerning.
Female representation varies significantly across state branches, ranging from 35.2% in Hamburg to just 24.5% in Lower Saxony. The situation is even more stark at the local level: in Saxony-Anhalt, women hold only 14.8% of municipal positions, compared to 34.2% in Hamburg.
Deputy Secretary-General Christina Stumpp, tasked by party leader Friedrich Merz with boosting female participation, emphasized the benefits of gender parity. "When women and men make decisions on an equal footing, we all benefit from a broader range of experiences and perspectives," she told the newspaper. While the report shows progress at the federal and state levels—particularly in leadership roles—she acknowledged that "municipalities still require urgent action."
Since 2022, the CDU has enforced a gender quota, and as of 2025, half of all executive board positions—from the federal party to state and district levels—must be filled by women. This rule, set to remain in place until 2029, will be evaluated before its expiration. At this week's federal party conference in Stuttgart, beginning Friday, the goal is to achieve equal representation in both the party's presidency and the deputy roles supporting Merz.
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