The Greens and the Left criticize the Corona economic stimulus package: "Economic development is usually promoting men"

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Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) at the presentation of the economic stimulus package (in June): A »power package« for Germany

Photo: Michael Sohn / dpa

When the federal government presented its € 167.4 billion economic stimulus package in the summer, there was talk of "oomph", of a "bazooka" and a "powerhouse".

But according to the calculation of political scientist Claudia Wiesner from Fulda University of Applied Sciences, the package was one thing above all: a man's thing.

According to a paper that the scientist has just published, the measures of the economic stimulus package will mainly benefit men.

According to this, areas in which the majority of women are employed only receive around four percent of the measures, that is 6.95 billion euros of the total volume.

And that although actually all measures that the federal government imposes should be gender neutral.

Since the beginning of the corona crisis, the greens and left have been warning to give women more consideration in political measures - after all, they carry a large part of the burdens during the pandemic, as scientists repeatedly emphasize.

For the two parties in the opposition, Wiesner's results are therefore hardly surprising.

Greens are calling for gender checks

The women's political spokeswoman for the Greens, Ulle Schauws, told SPIEGEL: "We need a gender check before the aid is distributed to ensure that men and women benefit equally."

The Greens had already called for this in a motion that they submitted to the Bundestag in the summer.

However, it was rejected.

The reason: what the Greens are demanding is already being done. 

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Ulle Schauws, women's political spokeswoman for the Green parliamentary group

Photo: via www.imago-images.de / imago images / Political-Moments

But that doesn't seem to be entirely true, as the study shows.

Schauws explains that a closer look is necessary to be able to determine whether women and men benefit equally from the help.

An example that Wiesner shows in her paper: If a large part of the stimulus funds goes into the health and social sector, but the money is spent on building services, then the money goes to men.

Because women are represented in the health and social sectors, but hardly in the construction industry.

"That is structurally unfair"

Ulle Schauws

The Greens also criticize the fact that the federal government's adherence to the splitting of spouses is now avenging many women.

Because the short-time work allowance is calculated according to the net income.

"A married woman in tax class 5 who earns 2,000 euros sometimes gets 260 euros less a month than her colleague in tax class 3. That is structurally unfair," said Schauws.

Instead, the Greens are demanding that the short-time allowance be calculated according to tax class 4. 

Left wants to upgrade social professions

Federal Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) also recently called for the abolition of spouse splitting in income tax in a guest post.

So far, however, this request has not been successful.

"Business promotion is usually male promotion"

Cornelia Möhring

The left’s political spokesperson for women, Cornelia Möhring, thinks the study makes it clear that politics need more female perspectives.

Although the measures initially appeared to be gender-neutral, the reality of work and life for women would not be adequately captured.

"Business development is usually male development," Möhring told SPIEGEL, "women were forgotten in the economic stimulus package."

She calls for the upgrading of industries and professions in which women are mainly employed.

These include, above all, healthcare, nursing, hospitality and culture.

Household and childcare could not be done on the side.

"We have to redistribute time and work."

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