General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) and the reality in Germany

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Monowara Begum Moni

Ludwigsburg pedagogical college (south west Germany) arranged a seminar for the students on 2. July 2022, on General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) – also known colloquially as the Anti-Discrimination Act/ It is a German federal law that “prevents and eliminates discrimination based on race or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity.

In order to achieve this goal, the persons protected by the law can have legal claims against employers and private individuals if they violate the statutory prohibitions on discrimination. When it came into force in 2006, the Employee Protection Act was replaced.

The Institute invited Monowara Begum Moni, member of South West German Journalist Union and Media Researcher to discuss with the students on her over thirty years’ experience as a foreigner in Germany. She explained, why and how she came here. She explained her pro and cons experiences and said she is happy to achieve her Post Graduate Degree in Journalism. She gives lectures as media researcher, on various media related topics worldwide. 

She also described about the image of Germany in the outside world, as she perceives. She said, how she confronts everyday life with her own family members Germany. Germany still needs several years to accept foreigners here. The Germans have to accept the foreign fellow citizens as they are. The Germans and foreigners must have regular contacts from both sides, and show mutual consideration and tolerance and acceptance. 

In order to sustain its economic situation, Germany depends on foreign people.

Integration has never been a one-way process. it has to be approached by domestic and foreign people. In Germany there exists legal equality largely in social laws, but even in companies and administrations one cannot speak of complete equality for foreign employees. There are still reservations about hiring Muslims in the service sector, for example. And foreign employees are still disproportionately affected by rationalization measures and young people with a migration background are underrepresented in the dual raining system.

As in all areas of the society, as they live they experience reality. Social life also shapes behavior, cooperation and helps to deal with conflicts and discrimination in universities and gives insight into good programmatic regulations and prohibitions. Right-wing extremism is based on intolerance and prejudice (e.g., against foreigners and minorities), encourages authoritarian behavior and glorifies power and violence. Right-wing extremism hinders integration at all levels in Germany.

The reasons for concluding agreements on equal opportunities and against discrimination are seldom found in concrete problems that have arisen. Institutional change processes require structural framework conditions, procedures and corresponding qualifications. At the same time the provision of resources and determination for a communicative, reflective process of regular analysis, recognition and discussion of discrimination are needed.

As a rule, difficult communication barriers have to be overcome in order to openly agree within organizations on processes of exclusion, unequal treatment, and pressure to adapt.

This is the only way to create the prerequisite for anti-discriminatory action as a permanent task for the universities - not only, but also in the context of internationalization and equal opportunities for socially marginalized groups in science, teaching and administration.

Monowara Begum Moni came to Germany from Bangladesh when East and West Germany reunited in 1989.