Because the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, is a woman, many people think that women's rights are strong in Germany. You might be surprised to find that they lag far behind the USA and that many Germany women still assume the traditional role of housewife and mother. But these roles are changing, often by economic necessity. And large corporations like Siemens are now actively pursuing workplace diversity and support for working women as they face shortages of technical staff.
German women are becoming increasingly more educated, but many forego children to pursue careers instead. The German birthrate is one of the five lowest in the world.) Only 14% of those women who have one child return to the full-time workforce. Child care is a big problem, and most German elementary schools end at 12 noon or 1:00 pm. "The culture still, to some degree, frowns upon the idea of mothers not taking care of their small children at home. As an old German expression puts it, the responsibility of women is "Kinder, Küche und Kirche" (children, kitchen and church)."
This New York Times/International Herald Tribune article from January 2010 provides some interesting insights into the changing role of women in Germany: In Germany, a Tradition Falls, and Women Rise
This interactive feature that accompanied the article lets you listen to the stories of four working mothers in Germany.
If you're interested in learning more about the challenges for working women in Germany, this article from the Knowledge at Wharton website provides more insight into the child care situation in Germany compared to the support provided in France and other European countries.
Are you surprised by this aspect of German culture? What are the human resources implications for multinational companies with operations in Germany?
4 comments:
I'm surprised by how far the culture lags behind American culture, but I always pictured German society as a very masculine one. However, I was unaware of that saying that details a woman's duty.
For multinational companies, a good idea for hiring women is to offer a childcare service at the company that would allow their women employees to feel the connection with their children without having to quit their jobs.
It sounds as though Germany is trying to have their cake and eat it to. It's impossible to have a working female force while continuing to grow population with children. It's impossible to hold a job when your kids are out of school at noon or 1. Some people may get nanny's, but you ultimately you have to be making enough money where your job is actually worth doing and paying a nanny. I think it's good that women in the German workforce is becoming more popular, but it sounds as though this is causing problems with having children. The only job conducive to both is being a teacher. Hopefully they'll do something about this problem soon. In my opinion school should last longer. I think the way we have is figured out in the US is one of the most effective ways to be conducive to both working women and women with children.
i think that just because a woman may be in the traditional role of housewife or mother, she has any less rights than her "working" counterparts. i find it odd that the authors of the article/post assume this; it has been shown that a nuclear family provides the necessary elements for an ethical and moral society.
the hr implications are that german women with small children may require more organizational support to maintain their careers in the backdrop of this cultural taboo.
I agree with Erin, I am surprised byt how far the german culture lags behind American culture in this aspect. Since their role in the workplace has been increasingly more prominent in the recently, I think it is a time of change and that there will still be that slight level of confusion between what people believe should happen and what is best for their business. There are still some kinks that need to be smoothed out since it is a newer concept of powerful women climbing the corporate ladder.
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