Ferda Ataman, the Independent Federal Commissioner for Anti‑Discrimination, has accused the German government of falling short on closing the wage gap between men and women. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” on Tuesday, she said: “We can certainly state that the government has yet to deliver on women’s rights”.
Ataman pointed to the June deadline for implementing an EU directive on pay equality, adding that a failure to act could cost taxpayers millions of euros each month. “In the interest of taxpayers the government cannot afford to delay” she warned.
She also criticised Germany’s general anti‑discrimination law, the “Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz” (AGG), noting that it is already 20 years old and one of the weakest in Europe. “If we continue at this pace, it will be easier for a man to colonise Mars than for women to achieve equality” she said.
Ataman highlighted that in Germany it is still common for people who negotiate or bluff better in interviews to earn more. “We need a cultural shift that makes it clear: paying women less for the same work is wrong”. She pointed out that women perform about 45 % more unpaid care work each day, describing this “care work” as the invisible foundation of society and the economy. “We need a government that, instead of debating sick‑leave statistics, first looks at how many mothers must stay home because of inadequate childcare” she urged.
This year’s Equal Pay Day falls on February 27, underscoring the persistent wage gap between men and women.