What would happen if all men were retouched from political recordings? Well, see for yourself – the pictures speak for themselves.
What is Angela Merkel doing alone at a press conference? And why is Ursula von der Leyen sitting lonely at a conference table? There are unusual images that are currently haunting social media again. They show women in politics – and that they are still pretty much alone with their gender there.
Back to the beginning: The photos we are talking about are originally from 2015, when the British "ELLE" started the "MoreWomen" campaign. Because we need them – more women in politics, but also in business, art, culture. In order to show how underrepresented women are in many areas, the magazine removed all men from political shootings. What came out of it? Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyern, Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by yawning emptiness.
Why we still have to fight for women in politics in 2020
Why are we talking about the recordings today, five years later? Because they are still up to date. Because when we look at photos of today's politics, they are still strongly male-dominated. Just take a look at the photo of our cover photo that came from the G7 summit in 2018 – and on which Angela Merkel, as the female ruler, stands pretty alone.
So what has happened in recent years? In fact there were some pictures that gave hope. We think of Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyern and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who should symbolize the women's power of the federal cabinet.
Then there is Sanna Marin, who has been Finland's youngest prime minister since 2019 and brought four strong women into the government.
Images like this give hope. But they also show that we are far from equality, which many now take for granted. Because that's exactly what such recordings are not. Women in politics are still something special. And as long as that is the case, we must continue to fight for equality.