Uli Grötsch, the federal police commissioner at the German Bundestag, called for parity in the appointment of senior officers within the Federal Police (Bundespolizei) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA). “Women deserve at least half of the world” he told the “Münchner Merkur”. “That must be reflected in the personnel roster of security agencies”.
He stressed that policing is not a male domain and that women are just as capable as men in police work. “They may approach things differently at times, but that does not make them inferior”. Grötsch added that the BKA is ahead of the Bundespolizei when it comes to women in leadership roles, yet both agencies still have significant room for improvement.
Current figures show that women make up roughly 21 % of the police enforcement service, the largest group of Bundespolizei employees, and about 15 % of those in higher service. In the BKA overall, women constitute about 41 %, but in positions at pay grade A16 and above-such as department heads-the share falls to around 25 %.
When asked whether a statutory parity rule is needed to boost women’s representation, Grötsch replied that waiting for change to happen naturally only delays progress. “Women’s life plans often differ from men’s and they require a different set of working conditions” he said. “The authorities must ensure those conditions. In 2026 you can no longer write: ‘Too bad, you’re a girl, you can’t build a career in the Bundespolizei.'”
Grötsch’s aim is clear: by the end of his tenure, the Bundespolizei and the BKA should offer women better career prospects than they do today. “Our goal is fifty‑fifty, and that’s the target when my term ends” he said. He concluded that the agencies will do everything within their power to reach this goal-and only time will tell whether it will be enough.