German Country Women's Association

What German Country Women's Association does

The Deutscher LandFrauenverband e.V. (dlv), founded on October 20, 1948, is Germany's largest women's organization focused on rural areas, operating as a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.). It functions as a federated membership body comprising approximately 450,000 women members organized across 22 state-level Landesverbände, roughly 430 district-level Kreisvereine, and approximately 12,000 local Ortsvereine spanning all 16 German federal states. The organization's core purpose is political advocacy for rural women in domains including gender equality, agricultural policy, rural infrastructure, and women's representation, delivered through direct federal and EU-level policy engagement, member publications, and project-based programming.

The dlv's offerings consist of advocacy services, community programming, and project initiatives rather than commercial products. Key outputs include the bimonthly 'LandFrauen aktuell' newsletter distributed via CleverReach, the 'zukunft_Land' podcast, annual reports and position papers, the annual Deutscher LandFrauentag conference, the LandFrauenakademie leadership training, and projects such as 'Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik.' (increasing women's municipal political participation), 'Selbst ist die Frau!' (rural women's entrepreneurship), 'Aktionsprogramm Kommune' (2021-2024), 'Equal-Pay Beraterinnen', and 'Initiative Junge LandFrauen'. International cooperation projects in Ghana (2017-2022) and Uganda via 'LandFrauen International Uganda' (2022-2025) are implemented in partnership with GIZ and funded by BMZ. The organization does not develop or operate proprietary technology products.

The dlv's revenue model combines membership dues (collected at the state and local association level, not publicly disclosed) with project-based grants from German federal ministries — specifically BMELH, BMFSFJ, and BMZ — and from the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank. Its go-to-market is community-led: prospective members join through local clubs and are served through the multi-tiered local-to-national network, while policy influence and program funding flow through established relationships with federal ministries and umbrella organizations including Deutscher Frauenrat, Copa-Cogeca, and ACWW. The Bundesgeschäftsstelle (federal headquarters) in Berlin employs approximately 10-15 staff and is led by President Petra Bentkämper and CEO (Hauptgeschäftsführerin) Daniela Ruhe. A wholly-owned subsidiary, dlv-LandFrauen gGmbH, was established to manage international development projects.

Name

German Country Women's Association

Legal name

Deutscher LandFrauenverband e.V.

Website

https://landfrauen.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Deutscher LandFrauenverband (dlv) is Germany's largest rural-focused women's organization, serving approximately 450,000 members across 22 state associations and 12,000 local clubs. Founded in 1948, it advocates for rural women through policy engagement, member publications, and federally-funded projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Civic Advocacy and Rural Membership Organization

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Rural women's advocacy
• Women's membership organization
• Gender equality advocacy
• Agricultural policy network
• Community association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: The dlv generates revenue primarily through membership fees from its ~450,000 members organized across 22 Landesverbände, 430 Kreisvereine, and 12,000 Ortsvereine. Members pay dues through their respective regional associations.
2. Project funding and government grants: The dlv receives project-based funding from German federal ministries (BMELH, BMBFSFJ, BMZ) and the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank for specific initiatives such as the Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik project, international cooperation projects in Ghana and Uganda, and the Junge LandFrauen initiative.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Deutscher LandFrauenverband (dlv) is a membership-based women's advocacy organization serving approximately 450,000 women across rural Germany, organized into 22 state associations, 430 district associations, and 12,000 local clubs. Its core offering is non-commercial: political representation and advocacy for rural women's interests at federal and EU level, a national networking community, member publications (newsletter, podcast, position papers), leadership training through the LandFrauenakademie, and project-based programs funded by federal ministries covering women's political participation, entrepreneurship, international development cooperation, and rural development.

Product overview

The German Country Women's Association (Deutscher LandFrauenverband/dlv) is a membership-based women's organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of advocacy services, member publications, and project-based programs. The core products include the bimonthly 'LandFrauen aktuell' newsletter, the 'zukunft_Land' podcast, and various publications (annual reports, position papers). The organization manages multiple projects including 'Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik.' for women's political participation, international projects like 'LandFrauen International Uganda (LIU)', and completed initiatives such as 'Selbst ist die Frau!' for entrepreneurship, 'Equal-Pay Beraterinnen' for wage equality education, and 'Initiative Junge LandFrauen' for youth engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik. Project focused on increasing women's political participation at the municipal level
• zukunft_Land Podcast
• LandFrauen International Uganda (LIU)
• Initiative Junge LandFrauen

Products and services

• LandFrauen aktuell Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• ~450,000 women represented across ~12,000 local clubs in 22 state associations

Named customers1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EAF Berlin (Diversity in Leadership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent research and consulting organization working at the intersection of politics, business, and science. The dlv cooperates with EAF Berlin on the Frauen.Vielfalt.Politik project and previously on the Aktionsprogramm Kommune (2021-2024). EAF Berlin provides expertise in organizational change and diversity in leadership.
• Copa-CogecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean farmers' and agricultural cooperatives' organization. The dlv participates through its European engagement, representing the interests of German rural women at the EU level.
• WeltLandFrauenverband / Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of rural women's organizations spanning 70 countries. The dlv is a member, enabling connections and knowledge exchange with rural women organizations worldwide.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGerman development agency implementing international projects in cooperation with the dlv. The dlv's international projects in Ghana (2017-2022) and Uganda (2022-2025) were implemented with GIZ support and BMZ funding.
• Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining and further education academy for agricultural and rural leadership. Partner in the dlv's network for leadership development and qualification of voluntary association leaders.
• Deutscher Bauernverband e.V. (DBV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Farmers' Association. The dlv shares organizational proximity and cooperates on agricultural policy topics. DBV is also represented on the dlv's network partner list.
• Bund der Deutschen Landjugend e.V. (BDL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization for rural youth in Germany. The dlv Bundesvorstand includes the BDL chair with advisory vote, fostering intergenerational cooperation in rural advocacy.
• Bundesstiftung GleichstellungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Foundation for Gender Equality. The dlv cooperates on gender equality policy and advocacy at the federal level.
• Deutscher FrauenratminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGermany's largest gender policy umbrella organization. The dlv is a member, enabling coordinated advocacy on women's rights and gender equality at the national level.
• Agrarsoziale Gesellschaft (ASG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural social society working on rural social policy issues. Listed as a network partner for rural development and social affairs.
• Bundeszentrum für Ernährung (BZfE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Centre for Nutrition. Cooperates with the dlv on nutrition education and consumer information topics relevant to rural women.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Copa-Cogeca: European farmers' and agricultural cooperatives' organization in which the dlv participates. Comparable as an ecosystem/partner organization through which the dlv pursues EU-level agricultural and rural-women representation.

Direct peers

• National Federation of Women's Institutes: UK-based membership organization for women with a similar federated local-club structure and advocacy remit spanning rural and community issues. Closest international analogue to the dlv in mission, structure, and member base.
• Deutscher Frauenrat: Germany's largest gender-policy umbrella organization, of which the dlv is a member. Directly comparable as a national women's advocacy peer, with overlap in policy positions and federal-level engagement.
• Country Women's Association of NSW: Australian state-level rural women's association operating through local branches with advocacy, community, and rural-development mandates. Highly comparable in the local-club federated model and rural-women target audience.
• Bund der Deutschen Landjugend (BDL): National organization for rural youth in Germany, with the dlv's Bundesvorstand including the BDL chair with advisory vote. Comparable as a rural-focused, generational advocacy peer with overlapping policy concerns.
• Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW): International umbrella of rural women's organizations across 70 countries, of which the dlv is a member. Directly comparable as the global network in which the dlv operates and through which it pursues international development partnerships.
• National Council of Women of Germany: National-level women's advocacy organization in Germany with similar advocacy remit and policy engagement with federal ministries. Directly comparable as a domestic peer operating in the same gender-equality policy space.

Broad incumbents

• European Women's Lobby: EU-wide umbrella coordinating women's organizations at the European level. Comparable as a broader incumbent in women's rights advocacy where the dlv contributes a rural-women perspective.
• Deutscher Bauernverband (DBV): Germany's main farmers' association and a network partner of the dlv on agricultural policy. Comparable as a broader, more established incumbent in the rural-policy space where the dlv operates as a specialized women's voice.

Regional players

• Agrarsoziale Gesellschaft (ASG): German agricultural social society working on rural social policy, listed as a dlv network partner. Comparable as a regional peer focused on rural social policy with overlapping policy interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LandFrauenVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/DeutscherLandFrauenverband
• Instagraminstagram.com/deutscherlandfrauenverband
• Xx.com/landfrauen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutscher-landfrauenverband-e.v.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about German Country Women's Association