Since 1994, Article 3 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany – the German constitution – stipulates the principle of equal rights for women and men, and obliges the German state to promote gender equality and to tackle existing inequalities.
Over the years, European Union (EU) policymaking has had a strong influence on the institutionalisation of gender-equality policies in Germany, and EU initiatives on gender mainstreaming have stimulated debate about respective instruments and institutional mechanisms.
