The federal police commissioner at the German Bundestag, Uli Grötsch, has called for parity at the higher ranks of the Bundespolizei and the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA). Speaking to a local newspaper, he emphasised that women represent at least half of society and that this balance should be reflected in the personnel of security agencies.
“The police profession is not a male domain” he said. “Women can perform as well as men. They may approach things differently, but never less effectively”. Grötsch added that the BKA is better represented by women in leadership roles than the Bundespolizei, yet both organisations still have a long way to go.
Current figures illustrate the gap. In the Bundespolizei’s main operational arm-the police enforcement service-women make up roughly 21 %. In senior positions, only about 15 % are women. Across the BKA the overall share of women is 41 %, but in jobs at the A16 pay grade and above (for example department heads) it drops to around 25 %.
When asked whether a statutory parity rule is necessary to raise the number of women, Grötsch replied that waiting for natural improvement can take a long time. Women often have different life plans than men and therefore need distinct working conditions, which the agencies must provide. “In 2026 you can’t simply say ‘unlucky, you’re a girl and you can’t advance in the Bundespolizei,'” he warned.
His goal is that, by the end of his term, women in both the Bundespolizei and the BKA will have better career prospects than today, with fifty‑fifty parity as the target. “We are doing everything we can with the resources we have” he said. “Whether it will be enough remains to be seen”.
