Leading From Behind – How Angela Merkel Shaped German Gender Politics

We know a lot about Angela Merkel as a leader in international politics; we know much less about how the first woman chancellor saw herself and acted as a woman leader. This talk, based on a volume co-edited by Prof. Lang with Prof. Petra Ahrens (Tampere University, Finland) and Prof. Phillip Ayoub (University College London) captures Angela Merkel’s legacy in gender equality. We argue that Merkel mostly led from behind on gender equality, with mixed success. Only in her fourth term did she acknowledge the particular challenges that women leaders face in domestic and international politics.

About the Speaker: Prof. Sabine Lang is Professor of European and International Studies at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington and Jean Monnet Chair of Civil Society, Inclusion, and Diversity. She directs the European Union Center and the European Studies Program at UW. Prof. Lang’s research is aimed at the intersection of states and societies in national and transnational environments with an emphasis on public voice and advocacy in the European Union. She works on the role of gender in politics with a special emphasis on the political representation of women and the advocacy of women in Europe.