HRW: Germany’s social security system violates women’s rights News
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HRW: Germany’s social security system violates women’s rights

HRW reported Monday that Germany’s social security system inadequately protects women from poverty, breaching the state’s constitutional obligation to ensure that taxpayers can afford to pay for “necessary living expenses.”

According to HRW, women in Germany are overrepresented among the population that is at risk of poverty. Women make up two-thirds of low-wage workers and often receive smaller pensions because childrearing is excluded from pension calculations and are overrepresented among single parents, which leaves women particularly vulnerable to poverty. Increases in the cost of living due to inflation and a lack of corresponding increase in support from Germany’s social security system have made these systematic gender inequalities worse.

Under Article 1 of Germany’s Basic Law, the state must provide citizens with minimum subsistence through its duty to respect and protect human dignity. Minimum subsistence includes both physical necessities such as food, shelter and medical resources, and sociocultural necessities which ensure individuals have the resources to maintain social relationships and participate in cultural and political life. European and international human rights laws also provide for the right to social security.

While Germany pledged to overhaul its social security system in 2021 to increase support to offset post-COVID-19 price increases for necessities, but political disagreement among Germany’s governing parties led to less ambitious reform.

The existing problems with Germany’s social security system are exasperated by Germany’s aging population. If it is not changed, the existing system will likely leave many elderly women especially vulnerable to poverty, due to smaller pension supports, wage inequalities and less time on average spent in the workforce.

The cost of living crisis in Germany is made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in a significant increase in the cost of home heating.

Germany’s political parties are currently conducting coalition policy negotiations, and have set negotiation deadlines for forming government for May.

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