The Status of Women in German Political Science

This article (Gabriele Abels & Dorian R. Woods, European Consortium for Political Research, 2015) examines women's entry and advancement in the German academic community, focusing on political science. Despite a growing number of women studying political science, the article finds they remain underrepresented at higher academic ranks and in leadership positions, and analyses the gendered nature of German academic institutions — including the process of obtaining a doctorate and preparing for a tenured professorship — alongside measures for promoting equal opportunity, such as changes within the German Political Science Association (DVPW).

The article finds progress in closing the representation gap, aided by equal-opportunity measures, but identifies persistent problems: German universities' inability to provide postdoc-level job security and, in many cases, adequate pay, and a shortage of permanent lecturer positions. It notes there is not yet empirical evidence on whether a newly introduced merit-based pay system carries hidden gender or diversity implications, though the authors consider this likely given evidence from other countries such as the United States. Women continue to cluster in the lower ranks of the profession, creating a 'leaky pipeline' in which women remain a minority — albeit a growing one — among top-rank professors.

The article concludes there are positive trends toward more women in political science, but that structurally understaffed and underfinanced universities, the lack of permanent lecturer positions, and declining professorial pay continue to weigh heavily on women's careers.