On 3 November 2025, the Equal Opportunities Officers Sarah Güther (City of Mönchengladbach) and Dr Sandra Laumen (Hochschule Niederrhein) invite you to a reading with bestselling author Alexandra Zykunov at Hochschule Niederrhein in Mönchengladbach. The event starts at 17:00 in the main auditorium V2 on the Mönchengladbach campus (Webschulstraße 41-43). Admission is free.
Under the provocative title "What else do you want?", Alexandra Zykunov addresses the widespread assumption that equality has long been achieved after 16 years with a female chancellor. In her typically sharp-tongued yet humorous style, the author uses real-life figures, studies and everyday examples to show that women continue to be disadvantaged in many areas of life - often unnoticed, but with clear consequences.
Zykunov explains, among other things, how algorithms systematically grant women smaller loans, how the energy crisis has made female products more expensive than male products and how legal regulations still prevent fathers from taking sick days without any problems. With a mixture of anger, humour and factual knowledge, she holds up a mirror to the patriarchy and makes it clear that equality is far from complete. "The patriarchy is probably not finished yet - but the fight is on," says Zykunov.
The event is a cooperation between the Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Mönchengladbach and the Equal Opportunities Department of The Hochschule Niederrhein. It is aimed at all interested parties. Registration is possible via the website www.hsnr.de/gleichstellung-events.
Admission begins at 16:30. There is limited public parking available; the organisers recommend travelling by public transport (bus stops: Mönchengladbach Webschulstraße or Mönchengladbach Hochschule). Childcare is available on request. There will also be the opportunity to purchase signed copies at the book table in cooperation with the ProLibri bookshop in Mönchengladbach-Odenkirchen.
