The Activity Report 2024-2025 of the Berlin Jury against Discriminatory and Sexist Advertising is now available for download (in German). It covers the entire project period of the office at Dissens Institute.

In September 2025, the Berlin Jury Against Discriminatory and Sexist Advertising learned that both the office supporting its work and the jury itself would be discontinued at the end of 2025. This was decided by the Senate Department for Labour, Social Services, Gender Equality, Integration, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination in the draft double budget for 2026/2027.

The jury regrets this decision which is part of a wave of numerous cuts and funding cancellations, for example in social services, in anti-discrimination work with children and young people, and in queer education. In a social climate increasingly shaped by right-wing politics, in which ideologies rooted in violence are gaining ever greater influence and efforts to promote diversity, inclusion and equality are under attack on a global scale, these cuts send a devastating signal with tangible consequences for everyone facing discrimination and for a society that values participation and justice. 

Without the jury, Berlin will lose a supportive expert committee which advocates for non-discriminatory advertising across a wide range of power dynamics and serves as a point of contact for people who are confronted with discriminatory advertising.

• The jury was established as the centrepiece of the ‘Framework Concept against Discriminatory and Sexist Advertising’, which was adopted by the Berlin Senate in September 2020. The jury consists of 10 voluntary members from various fields of gender equality and anti-discrimination work, including research, education, administration, business and civil society.
• The office supporting the jury's work was part of the State Office for Equal Treatment and Against Discrimination (LADS) until September 2024, when it was transferred to Dissens – Institut für Bildung und Forschung e.V. (Dissens – Institute for Education and Research) as a grant-funded project. Its current funding period runs until the end of 2025.

The work of the jury and its office was originally intended to be permanent; this was also the aim of the work carried out by the office to set up its operational structures. A public outreach campaign was also in preparation. Unfortunately, this is no longer necessary, and the phase of building up is now being immediately followed by one of dismantling.

Over the next few months, the office and the jury will continue to process reported ads until the submission form has to be deactivated. In addition, a guide for non-discriminatory advertising is being developed, to offer companies practical advice. With this guide, the work of the jury will continue to have a lasting impact, helping to ensure that no discriminatory advertising is being created, even after the jury has been dissolved. 

Berlin Jury Against Discriminatory and Sexist Advertising, September 2025

Statement as a PDF file

Everywhere we are confronted with advertisements that aim to encourage the purchase of certain products or services. Advertising however, also has a more subtle influence: advertising images contribute to shape and reproduce social perceptions. Advertising that depicts clichés or stereotypes reinforces existing social inequalities and negatively impacts an equal social coexistence. Therefore, taking a stand against discriminatory and sexist advertising is an important part of anti-discrimination work.

The Berlin Senate has taken a first major step with the ban on discriminatory and sexist content on state-owned advertising spaces, which has been in force since 2019. In addition, a framework concept against discriminatory and sexist advertising (german-language PDF file, opens in a new window) was developed in cooperation with the Working Group of the Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers of the districts (LAG), the Senate Department for Health, Long-Term Care and Gender Equality and the Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment under the leadership of the Senate Department for Justice, Consumer Protection and Anti-Discrimination, which was adopted by the Berlin Senate in September 2020. Its centrepiece is the establishment of a Berlin Jury against Discriminatory and Sexist Advertising.

The jury was founded on 20 January 2021. It is a multidisciplinary, diverse, honorary, and independent body, bringing together experts from various fields of equality and anti-discrimination work including science, education, administration, business, and civil society. The members are appointed by the Senator of the Senate Department responsible for anti-discrimination affairs.

The jury receives complaints and examines whether the advertising in question is discriminatory or sexist. The assessment is made on the basis of criteria based on the prohibition of discrimination under the German Basic Law, the General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG) and the Berlin State Anti-Discrimination Act (LADG) (PDF file opens in a new window). The jury's options for intervention consist primarily of awareness-raising and public relations work as well as directly approaching responsible advertising companies. An activity report on the work of the jury is published once a year.