the status of women in german political science

Women are grossly underrepresented in the German political science profession, but some progress in breaking the glass ceiling has been made in the last 20 years. This article outlines women’s entry and advancement in the German academic community. We examine the particulars of obtaining a German doctorate and the nature of how postdocs prepare for their qualifications to receive a tenured professorship. We also analyse the gendered nature of the German academic institution and measures for promoting equal opportunity. Our findings show that gender inequalities are visible in the number of women in the profession and in their rank, although some progress has been made in closing this gap. Equal opportunity measures and some changes in German academic institutions, such as in the German Political Science Association (DVPW), have benefited women. Problems remain, however, in German universities’ inability to provide postdoc level job security and (in many cases) adequate pay in the postdoc phase. More permanent lecturer positions are needed in Germany.