Thursday, August 29, 2002
Election campaign in Germany focuses on working moms
A story released today by CNN News reports that working mothers have become a central issue in Germany's election campaign. Women here make up 42 percent of the work force, and politicians are trying to find solutions for working women.
The ruling Social Democrats say women want to combine family and work and have instituted a monthly payment of 150 euros per child.
This is seen as a bonus, not a subsidy to stay at home, the government says. The Social Democrats want to increase this payment to 200 euros.
"We think the best for the children is if the mother is satisfied and can work and can take care for the children both. And we want to help to combine both," says Edith Niehuis of the German Family Ministry.
The Christian Democratic Union candidate for family minister, Katherina Reiche, knows this issue very well.
Reiche is a 29-year-old unmarried mother, an educated biochemist and member of Parliament.
She speaks out for family values and argues for a sliding scale of child subsidies, starting with 600 euros each month until a child reaches age three, then decreasing.
The Social Democrats say higher subsidies tempt mothers to stay at home and therefore foster a more traditional role for mothers.
