Working together for greater fairness: INES Analytics and nushu female business are reshaping the economy

The German economy continues to lag behind in terms of gender equality. Only 19.7 per cent of board members at German listed companies are women, and the proportion in management positions is 29 per cent. Parity is also a long way off in politics: there are currently only 204 women in the Bundestag – that is 32.4 per cent of all members of parliament.

These figures speak for themselves. Inequality is not an individual problem, but is structurally entrenched. This is exactly where nushu female business and INES Analytics come in. Our goal: a more equitable economy in which women are not only part of the system, but actively shape it – and are fairly remunerated for their work.

Anna, 43, has been working as a project manager in a medium-sized mechanical engineering company for ten years. After reading an article about the gender pay gap, she wonders whether her salary reflects her responsibilities. She talks to colleagues about income—previously a taboo subject—but is unaware of salary structures and does not know whether she earns less than men in comparable positions.

Selin, 36, heads the HR department of an industrial company with 500 employees. From June 2026, she will have to implement the EU Pay Transparency Directive: reviewing salary structures and disclosing differences. Information and initial training courses are in place, but there is no concrete implementation plan. She is considering whether specialised software – for reporting, for example – could help.

Questions about fair pay and transparent salary structures are increasingly preoccupying both employees and employers. While employees often do not know whether they are being paid equally and fairly for their work, human resources departments are faced with the challenge of implementing legal requirements while ensuring greater transparency. With the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which will come into force in June 2026, many of these issues will become mandatory: companies will then have to systematically check whether equal pay is actually being paid for equal or equivalent work – and report on this.

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However, Anna does not know about this. At a nushu event, she meets Selin. nushu is a cross-industry, cross-level network for professional and personal growth in Germany: every year, Selin and Anna take advantage of 16 weeks of soft skills training, 24 masterclasses with top experts, and a community of over 2,000 women with whom they network at events across Germany and on their app. Anna and Selin have been nushu members for years because they feel that nushu really benefits them – knowledge, contacts, exchange on an equal footing. At the event, the two first talk to other nushus and then notice each other. Anna has noted on her name tag that she is looking for information on the gender pay gap, and Selin approaches her. Selin explains to Anna that as an employee, she has the right to obtain information about her colleagues' salaries and tells her about INES Analytics. The Berlin-based start-up develops scientific software tools that help companies implement the requirements of the EU's new remuneration transparency directive. The analyses by INES Analytics take into account intersectional overlaps between different dimensions of diversity and identify both short-term and long-term options for action to effectively comply with the requirements of the directive.

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Pay transparency as an opportunity

The EU Pay Transparency Directive is more than just a legal framework: it is an opportunity to highlight gaps and initiate targeted, measurable change. Companies benefit twice over – from greater fairness and equal opportunities, which translate into tangible economic advantages. The greater the sense of fairness and transparency within a company, the higher the loyalty and the lower the employee turnover. According to an analysis by INES Analytics, reducing the turnover rate by just 2% per year can lead to savings of up to €330,000 in a company with 500 employees. In addition, increased transparency and fair working conditions lead to higher overall productivity.

INES Analytics provides the data-based analysis expertise for this. Scientific AI is used to evaluate HR data in such a way that intersectional causes of inequality become clearly recognisable – for example, in career paths, further training and salaries. This enables companies and HR departments to gain insights into previously unknown structural inequalities – and to make data-based, sustainable and efficient decisions on this basis.

But real change only comes about through exchange, trust and activation. In the safe space provided by nushu, Anna was able to openly address her insecurity, and for Selin, it was natural to share her experiences and help Anna directly. And that's exactly what nushu is all about: mutual sparring, honest feedback and genuine cooperation, ultimately bringing more femininity into the economy. When women talk openly about salaries, support each other in application processes or jointly draw attention to ‘shortcuts’ in everyday life, more than just knowledge is created – self-efficacy, growth and a trusting cooperation emerge, opening doors that would otherwise remain closed.

At the same time, nushu female business supports companies in developing this effect internally as well. Together with employers, nushu develops approaches to translate insights into concrete actions – from building internal women's networks and continuing education programmes to strategies that specifically strengthen recruiting and employer branding. This not only creates more equality, but also sustainable retention and visibility for female talent and leaders.

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Our Vision

INES Analytics and nushu female business combine precise analysis with proactive implementation. Together, we not only highlight where inequalities exist, but also open up concrete ways to overcome them.

INES Analytics provides the data-based foundation: intersectional analyses specifically reveal inequalities and thus create transparency. nushu female business supports this with the motto ‘Learn, connect, GROW’: At events, individual learning journeys and mentoring sessions, participants gain exclusive knowledge, practical insights and access to a strong network of renowned experts. Always up to date, applicable and implemented collectively.

This is how we translate robust data into individual agency and systemic change – and together shape the fair working world of tomorrow.

nushu is an industry- and position-independent female business network with the aim of bringing more femaleness into the economy. To date, nushu has connected over 5,000 women in Germany and, with the motto ‘Learn, Connect, Grow’, promotes the professional advancement of each member through intensive learning journeys, digital and in-person events, and its own community app. www.teamnushu.de