Photo contribution by Madeleine Kuss: Future – Women in Crafts – Participant in the HWK PHOTO.AWARD. (Photo: © M. Kuss)
Read aloud:
10 May 2023
A career in the skilled trades and their organization isn't a question of gender. However, to truly increase the proportion of women, structures and mindsets must change, both in society and in the economy—and in general.
Actually, it sounds really good. Women make up almost half of the workforce , are highly qualified , and are increasingly working in sectors with a high proportion of men . As self-employed individuals , they create new products and services, as well as jobs and apprenticeships : Self-employed women in Germany employ 3,4 million people and train around 100.000 young people.
That's how it sounds on the website of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy , before the crucial sentence appears: " However, there is still much room for improvement. " Two facts in particular make this clear. Despite an almost identical employment rate, women are found in only 29 percent of all management positions . And of the 3,8 million small and medium-sized enterprises, only 16 percent have a woman at the helm.
"The training and labor markets are still divided along gender lines," says Holger Schwannecke , Secretary General of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) . "Unfortunately, this is the case, especially in the skilled trades." Only one in five businesses in the skilled trades is run by a woman – and only one in five master craftsman examinations is passed by a woman.
In 2022, the proportion of women taking the master craftsman's examination was 17,9 percent. "Without the traditionally female-dominated trades, the percentage in the skilled trades would be even lower," commented Anja Obermann , Managing Director of the Rhine-Hesse Chamber of Skilled Crafts , on the figures.
Craft policy
Craft policy
Craft policy
The head of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts is also an exception within the skilled trades sector – because the proportion of women within the skilled trades organization is similarly bleak . Obermann is only one of two female managing directors – and that's out of 53 Chambers of Skilled Crafts. On the honorary side, there are at least three female presidents, but they are outnumbered by 50 men.
The situation looks slightly better on the trade association side only because the trades typically dominated by women ensure a better quota – a reflection of the gender distribution in the trades.
Anyone who wants to change this needs to address many issues simultaneously – and have staying power. "To enable women to fully utilize their potential in economic and working life, diverse approaches are required," states the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. "Among other things, the framework conditions must be adapted to strengthen the compatibility of career and family/caregiving , awareness of shared responsibility in partnerships , and thus the economic independence of women ."
Behind this lie insights that are anything but new – and in which women had to fight hard for every step, because established thought patterns in the male-dominated economy and politics were difficult to break. History proves this. It wasn't until the 1960s that women fought their way out of the clear division of roles – the man goes to work, the woman stays at home and takes care of the household and children.
The so-called Hamburg Agreement of 1964 standardized school systems across the German states and broadened access to education. This increased equal opportunities for girls and helped them break free from the traditional "stay-at-home" role. From the 1970s onward, women participated more actively in the workforce , and later advances such as maternity leave and parental leave made it possible to share childcare responsibilities.
However, it's also true that full equality is still not a reality. Particularly when it comes to reconciling family and career, many women not only have to contend with stereotypes but are simply not protected . The reason: the relevant legal regulations apply to employees , but not to the self-employed . The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) has a clear stance on this: "Pregnancy must not be an entrepreneurial risk," the association states, demanding effective and well-thought-out social security coverage for self-employed women during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Johanna Röh , a master carpenter from Alfhausen near Osnabrück, has given a face to the demand. Her petition has sparked movement on this issue. However, because several ministries are working on it, implementation will take some time – even though politicians have generally recognized the maternity protection trap for the self-employed . Employees receive continued salary payments during pregnancy, which is not available to self-employed women – and this can be a threat to the very existence of small businesses.
This is something the many women's initiatives and networks are well aware of , especially the Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Crafts (UFH). Based on traditional role expectations, many wives automatically worked in their husbands' businesses , but often without a contract or social security . Through their lobbying efforts, the UFH played a crucial role in shifting the often disparagingly perceived status of wives as merely "helping" partners towards achieving self-employment on equal footing with their partners . This is an important step, as more than 75 percent of all craft businesses are family-run , headed by a married couple or a partnership.
However, all these changes to the general conditions cannot change one thing: young women, in particular, need to come into contact with skilled trades , try out what they are good at, and learn about the career opportunities. Numerous initiatives and campaigns work towards this goal, including Girls' Day , STEM initiatives, and the "Stereotype-Free" initiative . The "Stereotype-Free" initiative strives to ensure that young women, especially, can make their career choices without prejudice. This also aims to counteract the shortage of skilled workers by eliminating gender-specific career choices.
This does indeed seem to be having a slow but sure effect, even though the pandemic has dealt a setback to all these efforts. Before the pandemic, the proportion of female apprentices was 19,2 percent in 2018 , before steadily declining to its current 16,7 percent . Statistically, however, it is undeniable that the proportion of women in traditionally male-dominated fields is increasing . Ironically, digitalization is helping them gain a foothold there. This is confirmed by Tatjana Lanvermann , Chairwoman of the Federal Association of Independent Heating and Plumbing Professionals (UFH) and herself a member of the heating and plumbing industry. Order processing in her trade, as well as in the construction and finishing trades in general, via tablet better suits the creative skills of young women. In many companies, machines such as construction robots are relieving employees, and thus women, of physically demanding work. Lanvermann: "This also helps to dismantle traditional gender stereotypes like 'You can't do that.'"
Moreover, this generally helps to reduce prejudice against certain jobs. The crux of the matter is that this message needs to reach society as a whole , which not only operates with outdated role models but also with an outdated and sometimes inaccurate image of skilled trades.
To inspire more young women to pursue careers in skilled trades and to encourage businesses to focus more on recruiting female talent , the Dortmund Chamber of Skilled Crafts has launched the campaign " Strong Women. Strong Skilled Trades. " The campaign aims to convince women and girls of the excellent career opportunities in skilled trades and to showcase and connect real female craftspeople as role models . The campaign features portraits of successful journeymen, master craftswomen, and business owners from the chamber's district. "Skilled trades are vibrant and diverse, and thrive on the diversity of their employees. That's why we need even more women in businesses , management positions , and the self-governing bodies of the skilled trades , women who want to provide new impetus and help shape the future," says Chamber Vice President Kerstin Feix.
One component of the campaign was a photo competition designed to increase the visibility of women in skilled trades. Professional, emerging, and amateur photographers from across Germany were invited to submit photographic works that focused on women in the trades . The aesthetically pleasing photos, on display in the foyer of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts' training center, are intended to encourage young women to abandon traditional gender roles and pursue this or a similar career path.
The statistics on the proportion of women in skilled trades are clear : especially in the construction and finishing trades, many professions are male-dominated . For example, in 2022, the proportion of women in apprenticeships for bricklaying and concrete work was a mere 2,1 percent: of the 9.261 apprentices, only 198 were female . The figures are even worse for master craftsman examinations : a mere 5 women were among the 642 successful candidates , a share of less than one percent.
Admittedly, the reverse is also true, as some professions, especially creative or care-related ones, have an above-average proportion of women . But this doesn't change the overall picture: the skilled trades are a male-dominated field . Across all apprenticeships in the skilled trades, women make up only 16,7 percent . The proportion of women among master craftsmen is similarly low: only 17,9 percent of the 20.532 successful master craftsman examinations were taken by women.
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