08 March Don't (just) celebrate on International Women's Day, take action

ÖDP MEP Manuela Ripa: Society must secure spaces for women to develop their potential.

"It's not women who have to change," demands ÖDP MEP Manuela Ripa on the occasion of International Women's Day (March 8): "We have to change the structures of our society." According to Ripa, who is also on the federal board of the Nature Conservation Party, International Women's Day is not about celebrating. She is convinced: "It's about taking action. For a future in which all girls and women live in a world that is truly open to them and in which they can develop their potential."

This is precisely where the European politician still sees the deficit in German society: women encounter obstacles every day - from harassment on the street to hate comments online, from the glass ceiling in management positions to structural disadvantages in science and business. "We operate in spaces that are not made for women. Too often we are expected to adapt instead of changing these spaces so that they are fair to all people." Ripa calls for "a society in which everyone has the same opportunities". The key to this is education - especially in the fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology. In these STEM subjects, the proportion of women is only 18%. Women receive less research funding and are missing out on future technological fields.

Ripa also criticizes social media and the role of artificial intelligence: "AI must promote equality and not cement existing inequalities. Algorithms are not neutral, they often reinforce stereotypes." Here, Ripa pleads: "Women must have a say in the development of AI." According to the ÖDP member of parliament, society must take a close look at "what effects social media has on boys and men and what image of women is conveyed in social media". She warns: "Otherwise, false role models will be seen as normal. In the end, this will be to the detriment of society as a whole.