Overview
- The Schleswig-Holstein cabinet approved the Novelle Tuesday, turning softer equality commitments into legal obligations for state and municipal administrations.
- The law requires that women and men be considered equally when naming or sending representatives to commissions, advisory councils, committees, boards and supervisory bodies.
- The reform declares all forms of sexual harassment at work unlawful and ties them to disciplinary, labor and personnel consequences, and it specifies that perpetrators—rather than affected staff—should be moved after incidents.
- Equal‑opportunity officers will gain stronger powers including a dedicated workplace, regular training, expanded participation rights in personnel decisions and the new ability to sue to have compliance checked.
- The measure also promotes family‑friendly rules and targeted training for women for leadership roles, and it now moves to debate in the state parliament with unions calling the changes overdue.