The Federal Conference of Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities (bukof) dedicated its annual conference from September 17-19, 2025, to the topic of “gender democracy.”
The background to this is a growing political and ideological questioning of gender studies, diversity policy, and minority rights. Anti-feminist narratives are gaining influence—not only on the far right, but also in the social mainstream. At the conference, experts discussed anti-feminism, threats to democracy, gender diversity, and equality policy in workshops and dialogue formats. The aim of the conference was to strengthen universities as places of equality, anti-discrimination, and democratic openness, and to create new alliances of solidarity.
CEWS was actively involved in the preparation and represented with several contributions: Dr. Andrea Löther and Dr. Nina Steinweg designed the workshop “Konkurrenz und Solidarität. Herausforderungen und Chancen für Gleichstellung, Antidiskriminierung und Diversität an Hochschulen” (Competition and Solidarity: Challenges and Opportunities for Equality, Anti-Discrimination, and Diversity at Universities.) The focus was on areas of tension between equality and diversity work and the question of how solidarity can be strengthened despite differing interests and resources. Using the method of systemic consensus building, the participants developed practical strategies for cooperative courses of action. The participants engaged with a wide range of solutions with great openness.
In addition, Dr. Nina Steinweg took part in the concluding panel discussion on the topic of “Antifeminismus und Bürokratieabbau an Hochschulen und in der Wissenschaft” (Anti-feminism and bureaucracy reduction at universities and in science), moderated by Alexandra Kühnen (bukof board member). Together with Dr. Sylke Ernst (spokesperson for the State Conference of Hessian University Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers),
Dr. Harald von Kalm (Head of the Department of Interdisciplinary Cross-Sectional Affairs at the DFG), and Prof. Birgit Riegraf (General Sociology, University of Paderborn) about strategies for dealing with anti-feminist attacks on equality and democracy. The debate focused on both legal scope for action and the relevance of networks and alliances.
The bukof general meeting elected a new board. CEWS would like to thank the two outgoing board members, Birgit Fritzen and Michaela Frohberg, for their excellent work over the past two years. CEWS wishes the new board, Dr. Sybille Jung, Nina Lawrenz, Katja Kraft, Alexandra Kühnen, and Christina Wolff, every success.