Working Group of Social Democratic Women

SPD Women, formally associated with the German name SPD Frauen and historically known as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialdemokratischer Frauen (AsF), is the women's organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). It is an internal party working group rather than an independent legal association, company, or separately incorporated membership organization. Its role is to bring women's interests into the SPD's policy development, personnel decisions, electoral politics, and organizational life, while also connecting party work with trade unions, civil-society organizations, women's associations, and international socialist and social-democratic women's networks. The organization was initiated by a decision of the SPD party executive committee on June 24, 1972. Its first federal conference was held in Ludwigshafen from March 23 to 25, 1973, where Elfriede Eilers became the first national chairwoman. During its early decades, the working group developed into an important internal forum for debates over equal participation, employment, family policy, social security, reproductive and bodily autonomy, protection from violence, and the relationship between feminism and social democracy. Its political influence was particularly visible in the SPD's adoption and implementation of a gender quota. Under federal chairwoman Inge Wettig-Danielmeier, who led the organization from 1981 to 1992, the SPD introduced a 40 percent quota after substantial internal debate. SPD Women also helped secure a major statement on patriarchy in the SPD's 1989 Berlin Programme: the proposition that a humane society requires overcoming patriarchal structures. The wording was retained in the party's 2007 Hamburg Programme, illustrating the working group's longer-term impact on the party's programmatic identity. Following German reunification, a comparable women's working group had been established within the Social Democratic Party of the GDR under Eva Kunz. When the eastern and western parties merged on September 26, 1990, their women's working groups merged as well. Later federal chairs included Karin Junker, who served from 1992 to 2004, Elke Ferner, and Maria Noichl, who was elected federal chair in 2018. Since 2021, the organization has used a dual-leadership model. The current federal chairpersons are Ulrike Häfner and Carmen Wegge. The organization follows the SPD's territorial structure, with bodies operating at federal, state, district, sub-district, and local levels. Its highest federal body is a conference held every two years. The conference adopts motions and a work program, elects the federal executive committee, and reviews its activities. Between conferences, a federal committee represents the district organizations. The federal executive committee consists of two chairpersons, three deputy chairpersons, and twelve additional members. All female SPD members are considered part of SPD Women; there is no separate mandatory membership category for the working group. Reference material from the SPD's 2021 equality reporting placed the number of women SPD members at approximately 134,000, or about one-third of the party's membership. Guests and supporters may participate under SPD rules, although their rights differ from those of full members. The organization's stated priorities include substantive equality, women's economic independence and retirement security, reducing workplace discrimination, widening educational and occupational choices for girls and women, reconciling paid work and family life, combating violence against women, advancing women's rights internationally, and enforcing gender equality within the SPD.

The institutional roots of SPD Women lie in the expansion of women's political participation within the Social Democratic Party of Germany during the early 1970s. On June 24, 1972, the SPD party executive committee resolved to establish a dedicated working group for women. The first national conference followed in Ludwigshafen on March 23–25, 1973, and elected Elfriede Eilers as the organization's first national chairwoman. The creation of a formal internal structure gave women in the SPD a recognized venue for developing policy, coordinating local and regional activity, and influencing the party's broader political agenda. Elfriede Hoffmann succeeded Eilers in 1977 and led the organization until 1981. Inge Wettig-Danielmeier then became federal chairwoman and remained in office until 1992. Her tenure coincided with one of the organization's most consequential internal policy struggles: the SPD's adoption of a 40 percent gender quota. The quota was controversial among sections of the party and within the women's working group itself, but Wettig-Danielmeier and her allies helped turn it into an organizational instrument for increasing women's representation. SPD Women also secured the inclusion of an explicitly anti-patriarchal statement in the SPD's 1989 Berlin Programme. That statement, linking a humane society to the overcoming of patriarchy, was later retained in the party's 2007 Hamburg Programme. The political changes surrounding German reunification also reshaped the organization. A women's working group had been formed within the Social Democratic Party of the GDR under Eva Kunz. When the eastern and western social-democratic parties merged on September 26, 1990, the respective women's working groups were integrated. This gave the post-reunification organization a common framework while bringing together activists shaped by different political and institutional experiences. Karin Junker served as federal chairwoman from 1992 to 2004, followed by Elke Ferner. Maria Noichl was elected federal chair in 2018. In 2021, the organization moved to a dual-leadership arrangement, with Maria Noichl and Ulrike Häfner serving together. From 2025, the federal leadership consisted of Ulrike Häfner and Carmen Wegge. SPD Women is not legally independent from the SPD. Its rights, responsibilities, and relationship to party executives are governed by the SPD's principles and guidelines for working groups, adopted by the party executive committee on March 26, 2012. Local and regional branches require approval from the relevant SPD executive committee. Although the working group generally conducts its activities autonomously, an SPD executive committee may intervene in defined circumstances, including by restricting events, convening meetings, submitting motions, or seeking the removal of a working-group executive board through the appropriate membership or delegate process. Its organizational structure mirrors that of the SPD. Federal, state, district, sub-district, and local bodies operate within corresponding party structures; in some areas, county or regional levels also exist where they are present in the SPD itself. The federal conference is the highest body and normally meets every two years. It includes the federal executive board and 250 delegates elected by district organizations. Delegate distribution is based on the number of female SPD members, with each district receiving a basic mandate. A federal committee of 30 district delegates and members of the federal executive board represents the organization between conferences. Membership is integrated into SPD membership rather than separately purchased or registered. Female SPD members are included in the working group, while guests may participate without voting rights. Supporter status under the SPD's organizational statutes can provide broader participation rights at federal working-group or thematic-forum level, including speaking, nominating, submitting motions, and active and passive voting rights under the applicable rules. The organization cooperates with the German Women's Council, PES Women, and the Socialist Women's International. Its continuing agenda covers equality in society and within the SPD, women's employment and independent old-age security, workplace equality, educational and career opportunities, work-family reconciliation, protection from violence, and international women's rights.

• 2025

  Carmen Wegge joins the federal dual leadership

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The federal dual leadership consists of Ulrike Häfner and Carmen Wegge.

• 2023

  Public name changes to SPD Women

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The organization is publicly identified as SPD Frauen or SPD Women; the former AsF designation was used until October 2023.

• 2021

  Dual federal leadership introduced

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  SPD Women adopts a dual-leadership model, initially led jointly by Maria Noichl and Ulrike Häfner.

• 2018

  Maria Noichl elected federal chair

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  Maria Noichl takes over the federal chairmanship of the organization.

• 2007

  Berlin Programme language retained in the Hamburg Programme

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The anti-patriarchal formulation associated with the 1989 Berlin Programme is retained in the SPD's Hamburg Programme.

• 1990

  East and West German women's working groups merge

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  Following the September 26 merger of the SPD organizations in the Federal Republic and the GDR, their respective women's working groups are brought together.

• 1989

  Anti-patriarchal principle enters the Berlin Programme

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The SPD's Berlin Programme adopts a principle arguing that a humane society requires overcoming patriarchal structures, reflecting a major programmatic success for the women's organization.

• 1973

  First national conference

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The first national conference is held in Ludwigshafen from March 23 to 25. Elfriede Eilers is elected the first national chairwoman.

• 1972

  SPD executive committee establishes a women's working group

  [1]SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The SPD party executive committee decides to create a dedicated working group for women, establishing the institutional predecessor of today's SPD Women.

An institutional feminist and equality-policy organization embedded within German social democracy, combining internal party representation with advocacy on women's rights and gender equality in society.

• 2021

  Adoption of dual leadershipStrategy

  Background

  The organization adjusted its federal leadership model to provide joint representation at its highest executive level.

  Action taken

  SPD Women adopted a dual federal chairmanship, initially held by Maria Noichl and Ulrike Häfner.

  Aftermath

  The dual-leadership model continued, with Ulrike Häfner and Carmen Wegge serving from 2025.

  Source

• 1990

  Integration of the East German women's working groupStrategy

  Background

  The merger of the Social Democratic organizations in East and West Germany required the integration of their parallel working-group structures.

  Action taken

  The women's working group of the Social Democratic Party of the GDR was merged with the West German organization after the party merger.

  Aftermath

  SPD Women acquired a unified structure spanning the post-reunification SPD.

  Source

• 1972

  Creation of an SPD women's working groupStrategy

  Background

  The SPD sought a formal internal structure through which women's interests and demands could be developed and represented in party decision-making.

  Action taken

  The party executive committee resolved to establish a dedicated women's working group, later known as AsF and SPD Women.

  Aftermath

  The working group became a permanent channel for women's policy, internal representation, and cooperation with women's organizations.

  Source

1. 1SPD Womenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2SPD Frauen official websiteasf.spd.de