How the German Medical Women's Association is perceived by the public substantially depends on the personalities of its presidents. They all have in common their commitment to represent medical women's interests in the politics concerning their professional group and in general politics. Other focal points of DÄB's presidents after World War II were as follows:

1950 – 1955

Dr. med. Thekla von Zwehl, München

Intense battle against the act that medical women were put at a disadvantage with regard to setting up practice, involvement in drawing up the federal registration regulations, in social reforms (e.g. abortion and equality for women).

1955 – 1965

Dr. Grete Albrecht, Hamburg

Continuation of activities, public statements on the situation, number and importance of medical women. One of the Vice Presidents of the Medical Women International Association (MWIA) since 1956.

1965 – 1973

Dr. med. Lena Ohnesorge, Kiel

Pronounced commitment in the fields of social and medical affairs as well as feminist politics against the background of a rising number of medical women not working in their profession (1966: 25,5 percent). MWIA Vice President. International involvement in the UN, UNICEF, WHO and UNESCO. Previously Minister of Social Affairs in the regional state of Schleswig-Holstein.

1973 – 1989

Dr. med. Hedda Heuser-Schreiber, Oberaudorf

Statements on important draft legislation, such as abortion, divorce, reform of the sexual criminal law. Fought against the disadvantageous treatment of medical women applying for hospital jobs, in research and the business world. She stood up for part-time jobs and reintegration schemes.

1989 – 1993

Dr. med. Ingeborg Retzlaff, Lübeck

She supported equality for medical women in their profession and the politics of the professional group – also in her capacity as President of the Schleswig-Holstein Medical Association. Initiated a women promotion plan for medical women in Schleswig-Holstein. She was involved in drawing up the revised version of § 218 which concerns abortion. Statements on in-vitro fertilization, embryo protection and other issues.

1993 – 1997

Dr. med. Ute Otten, Wuppertal

She was very committed to the integration of medical women from the new federal states after Germany’s reunification and involved in the law reform of § 218. She represented the interests of the DÄB at the German Women’s Council and played an active role at the World Women’s Conference in Beijing in 1995 when the gender idea surfaced.

1997 – 2009

Dr. med. Astrid Bühren, Murnau

By way o surveys and statistics she made the public aware of the fact that medical women are still at a disadvantage with regard to registration as well as to positions in hospitals and science and research. She ensured that DÄB is recognized as a professional organization, representing medical women’s interests with regard to political decisions. Expansion of DÄB supportive activities.

2009 – 2015

Dr. Regine Rapp-Engels, Münster

On the DÄB board since 2001, DÄB president since 2009. For many years, she has been committed to women's and health politics making statements and participating in hearings o the health committee of the German Bundestag and of regional parliamentary committees. Recently she was responsible for the chapter on health in the alternative report for the CEDAW* committee.

*The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is one of nine international human rights conventions.

Since 2015

Dr. med. Christiane Gross, M.A.

Dr. med. Christiane Gross, M.A. is a general practitioner and psychotherapist based at Wuppertal/Germany. She advocates for a better balance between family and professional life as well as for higher representation of female doctors in medical assocociations. Improvement of career opportunities for female doctors is another ambitious goal for her. The implementation of gender medicine in medical education and postgraduate training as well as digitization in medicine and telemedicine are challenging objectives for her.
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