Sexism debate in the CDU

It was Friday morning when an article for the online magazine "Edition F" created a stir. The author was Jenna Behrends, 26, a law student and member of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who was recently elected to Berlin's state government.

"Dear party members, dear CDU Berlin, we have to talk. (…) About how you treat women, and how you're gambling away your future," the text read. Behrends went on to tackle the sexism she sees in her chosen party. She wrote about defamatory speech ("The young woman who is constantly confronted with rumors about her supposed affair, she's real.") and about a senator who described her as a "sweet little mouse" and who asked another member of the party in crude language if he was having a sexual relationship with her. Shortly after, it emerged that the man who made the remarks was Frank Henkel, who at the time was serving as Berlin's interior senator.

But Behrends' complaints didn't just target men. She said that fellow female politicians within the party labeled her as a cutthroat, career-obsessed climber. "At first, I was more disturbed about assumptions that I was sleeping my way to the top, but now I'm wondering whether being accused by other women of being too ambitious is even more devastating," she wrote.

Varied reactions

Since then, the weekend has passed, and with it, dozens of articles about the young politician, several interviews with her, and countless reactions. Many were supportive, but there were also those who questioned her direct way of bringing the issue out into the open.

Frank Henkel himself declared himself to be surprised, "as well as a bit disappointed about the content and style of this open letter." He did not deny Behrends' accusations, but said that his door was always open should she wish to talk. A meeting between the two is reportedly due to take place soon.

But the chairwoman of the Women's Union for the CDU in Berlin Mitte, Sandra Cegla, raised eyebrows when she said that she found Behrends to be "dubious" as well as someone who has herself spread "lies and intrigue." According to the newspaper "Berliner Kurier" she was outraged that Behrends had positioned herself as a frontrunner in the fight against sexism. "None other than Jenna, who has played up her feminine allure and practically sat on men's laps - it's ridiculous," the paper quoted Cegla as saying.

CDU politician Nöll: 'It's actually far worse'

But in addition to those who questioned Behrends' credibility or accused her of being power hungry, there were also those who supported her, and took her complaints seriously. Shortly after her letter was published, Berlin CDU politician Florian Nöll said: "Truthfully, [the problem with sexism] is actually far worse."

The CDU's General Secretary Peter Tauber signaled clear support. He told the newspaper "Bild-am-Sonntag" that he hears stories like these time and again, but without names. He said that makes it difficult to do anything about it.

"That's what makes this an important debate to have," Tauber said, adding that sexism isn't just a problem in politics.

Deputy CDU parliamentary group leader, Nadine Schön reacted similarly. In an interview with radio station Deutschlandfunk, she said that sexism is a topic that needs to be discussed across society, not just in politics. Blogger and women's rights activist Anne Wizorek told the broadcaster that it is "very important" that Behrends has taken this step to spark a debate. She welcomed Tauber's support, but said it is not enough just to recognize that the problem exists. Concrete solutions must now be developed.

Wizorek is no stranger to combating sexism in public. In January 2013, she was one of the co-founders of the hashtag #Aufschrei(Outcry). At the time, a report by journalist Laura Himmelreich about her meeting with FDP politician Rainer Brüderle started a debate about sexism.

Brüderle had told the journalist that her décolleté "could no doubt fill out a dirndl." Thousands of women shared similar experiences online under the hashtag #Aufschrei.

It was also Wizorek who initiated the #ausnahmslos (without exception) campaign against sexual violence and racism in the wake of the New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne.

Behrends: 'It's about the atmosphere as a whole'

More than three years after #Aufschrei, the next debate about sexism has begun. This past weekend, Jenna Behrends, who was not available for an interview, told the "Welt" newspaper that she hadn't counted on such a large response to her letter. She said she had tried many times to address the issue internally, but that she had never got very far. She also said that it was not about attacking any one person - she could have quoted others. "It really wasn't about what he said, that's something I can get over. It was about the atmosphere as a whole."