Review of a successful women's education seminar

Under the motto "Role Models - Women work(ing) for more equality in society, culture and politics", a number of committed women from Bocholt and the surrounding area went on a four-day study trip to Potsdam and Berlin from 12 to 15 May 2025.

The trip was aimed at interested female citizens, entrepreneurs and women working in an honorary capacity and was organised by the Equal Opportunities Officer of the city of Bocholt, EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. In addition to historical and social topics, the event also focussed on the European dimension of gender equality.

In their welcoming speeches, Astrid Schupp, Equal Opportunities Officer for the City of Bocholt, Sonja Wießmeier from EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt and Beate Kaiser from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation emphasised that equality is a common European task that requires cooperation and exchange across national borders.

Diverse impulses in Potsdam and Berlin

The first day began with a guided tour of Potsdam. The focus was on past and present achievements and projects by exceptional women.

The following day, Brigitte Kippe, the former first women's representative of the Charlottenburg district, accompanied the group to Berlin. Due to illness, an event at the Representation of the European Commission had to be cancelled, but a visit by the speaker involved is already being planned so that anyone interested can find out about current EU strategies to promote equality and anti-discrimination in Bocholt.

As an alternative date, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation network was able to organise a visit to the German Cathedral at Gendarmenmarkt. The participants were able to learn about parliamentary democracy in Germany and its history, in particular the "Mothers of the Basic Law".

The travellers then attended various lectures at the Charité hospital in Berlin. Prof Gudrun Stadler's colleagues presented various research projects in gender medicine. These are of particular importance with regard to gender, but drugs and diagnoses are still developed and made primarily on the basis of male data.

In the afternoon, the programme was rounded off with an unusual visit to the Mendelssohn Remise. There was a musical and historical tribute to the composer Fanny Hensel, sister of the world-famous composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy.

Politics and society

The third day was dedicated to the Council of Europe Convention on Combating Gender-Based Violence, known as the Istanbul Convention. Johanna Czorny from the Brandenburg Violence Prevention Centre presented concrete measures from the work with perpetrators and thus showed how European agreements have a lasting influence on national prevention work.

A highlight for the women from Bocholt was the presentation by Nadja Klier, who was expelled from the GDR with her mother at the age of 15 and had to find her feet in West Berlin. Mrs Klier's mother was banned from working in the GDR.

The trip concluded with an exchange with Claudia Sprengel, Equal Opportunities Officer for the City of Potsdam. She explained municipal approaches to promoting diversity.

During the trip, it became clear from many of the contributions that the challenges faced by women in the past and present are often similar across national borders - particularly in terms of visibility, recognition and participation. "The European dimension was also present in many discussions", said Sonja Wießmeier from EUROPE DIRECT. For the Bocholt delegation, the trip was an impressive experience and a complete success.