This book takes stock of German gender equality in several policy fields after 16 years of governments led by Angela Merkel and her conservative Christian Democratic Party. Leading from Behind is fascinating read for students and academics interested in European Politics, Political Leadership, Gender Equality and LGBTI Politics.

Petra Ahrens is Academy of Finland Research Fellow at Tampere University, Finland. She focuses on gender equality in the EU and Germany, gender-sensitive parliaments, and transnational civil society. Alongside articles, she is the author of Actors, Institutions, and the Making of EU Gender Equality Programs (2018).

Phillip M. Ayoub is a professor in the Department of Political Science at University College London, UK. His research bridges insights from international relations and comparative politics, with a focus on transnational politics, sexuality politics, and the study of social movements. He is the author of When States Come Out (2016).

Sabine Lang is Jean Monnet Chair of Civil Society, Inclusion & Diversity in the European Union, and Professor of European & International Studies in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, USA. Her work focuses on gender politics and civil society in comparative perspective and in the EU.

Introduction: Leading from Behind? Gender Equality in Germany During the Merkel Era 1. Against All Odds: Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen, Anngret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the German Paradox of Female CDU Leadership 2. Angela Merkel and the CDU Quota Curse 3. From Private Wrongs to Public Rights: The Politics of Intersex Activism in the Merkel Era 4. Marriage Equality in Germany: Conservative Normalisation Instead of Successful Anti-Gender Mobilisation 5. A Rainbow Bundestag? An Intersectional Analysis of LGBTI Representation in Angela Merkel's Germany 6. Gender and the Integration of Newcomers in Merkel's Germany 7. Angela Merkel's Record on Immigration and Gender 8. Game-Changers for Gender Equality in Germany's Labour Market? Corporate Board Quotas, Pay Transparency and Temporary Part-Time Work 9. Gender Equality in the Field of Care: Policy Goals and Outcomes During the Merkel Era