Gender plays a prominent role in policy making in the USA and Germany. In both countries, gender issues are discussed in the public sphere and have become an important part of policy agendas. This can be seen through initiatives such as increasing female representation in politics, closing gender wage gaps, promoting equal pay for equal work, and investing more resources into services that benefit women.

In the United States, gender has become increasingly visible within the political arena since at least the late 1960s when second wave feminism became influential. Gender equality was enshrined in landmark pieces of legislation such as Title IX (1972), which opened up educational opportunities to girls; The Equal Pay Act (1963), which outlawed sex-based discrimination in wages; and The Family Medical Leave Act (1993). These policies have helped to bring about greater parity between men and women with regards to education, employment opportunities and family matters.