Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (referred to as BMFSFJ) handles a wide range of themes. It could also be called the Ministry for Social Policy. This is because it is responsible for various state family benefits – the best known of which is arguably the parental allowance – as well as for financing national projects and umbrella organizations. Government policy is also supported by a number of pilot programs in the areas of women’s and gender policy, policies for the elderly and for families, as well the area of volunteer work. But not everything that BMFSFJ implements with good intentions is also an efficient policy. And, conversely, the ministry’s authority ends where it abuts issues where other ministries have a much larger say. For example, when it comes to fighting child poverty, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs have a much greater responsibility.