Lindecke, Christiane / Klenner, Christina : Representation of Women in Works Councils and Equal Treatment of Men and Women at Company Level
One of the aims of the reform of the Works Constitution Act was to anchor political aspects of gender mainstreaming more firmly in the day-to-day reality of company life. This article examines the effects of these new regulations and their success at furthering gender equality. Based on findings from the WSI Works and Staff Councils Survey 2002, two main questions are addressed. The first section analyses whether and in what ways the representation of women on works councils has changed. To what extent has the "minimum quota for the minority gender been applied - and in which areas? And has this had a positive affect for the representation of women on works councils?
The second section examines the significance of the gender mainstreaming themes of " the promotion of women and "reconciling family and work from the viewpoint of the works councils.
When considering these two questions, factors such as the size of the company, the proportion of women in the company and the gender of the works council chairperson are taken into consideration.