Only two words needed Dr. Mandy Mangler to describe a core of her being. When asked how she deals with difficulties, the chief physician and professor answered: “Always get on with it”. That was towards the end of the almost two-hour ceremony for the presentation of the Berlin Women’s Prize 2022 to her in the Red City Hall, and she was already looking forward to the celebration that followed.
Tagesspiegel users are familiar with the specialist in gynaecology, feminist, networker, activist and mother of five children from the podcast “Gyncast”, in which she, in collaboration with Esther Kogelboom, Anna Kemper and formerly Julia Prosinger, clears up old fairy tales and myths and strengthens them blows on dusty structures.
In an impressive laudatory speech, Anja Lüthy, professor and trainer for executives, particularly recommended episode 32 “The clitoris is a great unknown”, from which she herself learned a lot. She described the honoree as a warm-hearted, courageous, helpful, empathetic, uncomplicated woman and great friend, as a gifted enlightener who consistently clears up misconceptions, for example that the clitoris plays no role or that the vagina is a woman’s sexual organ.
She emphasized her legendary telemedicine visits, her good time management and her communication skills, which she repeatedly demonstrates in her clear, understandable explanations in the Gyncast.
With difficulty, Dr. Mandy Mangler faces plenty of challenges in her professional life. Male dominance at management level in gynaecology came up again and again. To this day, a specialist journal is called “Der Frauenarzt”.
As head of gynecology and obstetrics at the Auguste-Viktoria-Krankenhaus and in a dual leadership at the Vivantes-Klinikum Neukölln, she is in a minority at management level. And that in a field in which women prefer to confide in doctors.
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When thanking for the prize, she told how she always counts the women present at congresses and that there are always far too few. She wants to use the prize money to set up a platform that will make it easier for congresses to find competent female doctors and give the qualified colleagues more chances of being seen by the organizers. According to Alicia Baier, the chairwoman of “Doctors for Choice Germany e.V.”, she gives “hope for a better future”.
Science Senator Ulrike Gote used the event to campaign for the abolition of paragraph 218 and thus for a decriminalization of abortion, which can only then become a health insurance benefit. She also wished for a good debate on the subject of menstrual leave and pointed out the synergy effects of her administration, which also includes the areas of health, care and equality: “We really need gender-sensitive research and medicine”.
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She particularly praised the award winner’s commitment to women’s self-determination and freedom, for her courage in repeatedly breaking taboos and getting rid of half-truths, for her tireless clarification on the compatibility of work and family.
Among the guests were the children of the awardee, who in her acceptance speech praised her for her good behavior during the ceremony. Some wise sayings were quoted that evening by Dr. Mandy Mangler. Including that strong men are not afraid of strong women.
