In the Lower Saxony state parliament, the proportion of women is currently 28%. In Salzgitter, only the North-West local council has an almost balanced ratio of eight women and seven men. The local council members deliberately aimed for this balanced composition in the last Kommunalwahl and, according to the members, they have had good experiences with it in their political work.

The Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs wants to change the imbalance in the parliaments and has therefore launched a mentoring program for women entitled "Frau.Macht.Demokratie". The project starts on August 30 in the state capital Hanover. Women who are interested in getting involved in local politics, but who may not have a party political background and want to know how politics works in the municipality, how they can get involved, where they can get support or answers to their questions, are to be supported as part of this program. They are assigned a mentor who accompanies them throughout their year in local politics. The program is supplemented by three supra-regional specialist events.

The application deadline is May 15.

Further information is available on the Internet (see link below) and from the Equal Opportunities Officer of the City of Salzgitter, Simone Semmler.