“Whilst maintaining its status as an economic engine in Europe, Germany has historically been a laggard in adopting gender equality measures. The European Gender Equality Index, however, now ranks Germany relatively high and shows substantial progress since 2005. While this has gone mostly unnoticed, Germany has passed far-reaching legislation in major policy fields relevant for

“During the 2019 centennial celebration of women’s suffrage in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel conceded that gender quotas are important and that the ultimate goal must be gender parity. Merkel’s legacy in terms of advancing women within her own party, however, is mixed. Surrounding herself with a tight circle of women professionals and arguably modelling success

“Angela Merkel’s tenure as German chancellor draws to a close this month after 16 years. The four-term chancellor leaves office having steered Germany through international and domestic crises. In so doing, she has earned the Forbes title of “most powerful woman in the world” every year for a decade. “The rise of populism and nationalism

“In 2013, Seattle’s U District neighborhood lost one of its most cherished businesses. The Continental Greek Restaurant and Pastry Shop sat on University Way, two blocks from the University of Washington’s Seattle campus, for nearly 40 years before closing its doors that June. News of the closure was met with testimonials from customers, many of

WELCOME BACK LETTER FROM DIRECTOR SABINE LANG October 5, 2021 Dear Euro Students, Fellow Faculty, and dear Friends of Europe, I would like to welcome you to an exciting academic year 2021-2022, for European affairs and for our European Studies program at JSIS. We are off to a great start on Tuesday, October 5, with a panel

Dear Friends of European Studies, of the Center for West European Studies, and the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence: We look back on this academic year with mixed emotions. On the one hand, technology enabled us to continue our work at the Center for West European Studies, the European Union Center, and within the European

Dear CWES community, After three wonderful years at CWES, the Jackson School and the Political Science Department, my stay as a DAAD visiting assistant professor comes to an end this fall. The goal of the DAAD (short for ‘German Academic Exchange Service’) program that brought me to UW is to facilitate a sustained cooperation –

The European Union has set impressive standards on gender equality, providing legal frameworks for equal pay, investing in work/life balance and childcare, and allowing for positive action to advance equal treatment of women across member states. At the same time, Europe witnesses considerable backlash from anti-gender activists and rightwing reactionary movements, calling into question gender

Every year, undergraduate senior students in the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) are given the opportunity to participate in a unique academic experience. Founded in 1983 by Professor Emeritus Donald C. Hellmann, the JSIS Task Force Capstone has students work in teams to develop policy responses to current international problems. At the end of

  Democracy cannot be taken for granted – not in Europe, not anywhere. As the EU Commission launches its Conference on the Future of Europe in 2021, we invite you to imagine this future with us. The Center for West European Studies at the University of Washington presents the EU Democracy Forum, a series of