Who hasn't seen the pictures from the world of politics that are still full of men in suits? More than 100 years after the introduction of women's suffrage, there is still no gender equality in politics. Although women are no longer the exception, they are not the rule either. There are many reasons for this. This study looks at the political culture and its influence on the equal participation of women in politics. What are the barriers in the political culture to equal participation of women and men? What role do organizational cultures, power networks and communication styles play? And what influence do the society in which politics is embedded and the prevailing role models have? This study aims to address these questions. To this end, it looks at state parliamentary groups and trade unions in East and West Germany. The initial findings of the study are intended to provide impetus for the debate on greater gender equality and to supplement and enrich the discussion with volunteers and full-time employees in politics and trade unions on fair gender representation in parties and interest groups.