Vienna, Austria – Austrian Minister of Women, Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner is spearheading efforts to advance gender equality in the country, though experts say systemic change requires a broader economic overhaul. The push for improved conditions for women comes as Austria lags behind other European Union nations in gender parity, particularly in employment rates.
According to a recent analysis, while the current government – a coalition of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), and NEOS – has committed to improving the lives of Austrian women, progress hinges on addressing deeper societal and economic issues. The assessment highlights the need for policies that travel beyond traditionally recognized “women’s issues.”
Government Acknowledges Ongoing Effort
The Women’s Ministry stated that gender equality is a continuous process requiring daily work. Officials maintain that the political will is present and reflected in concrete measures. Gundula Ludwig, a political scientist and gender researcher at the University of Innsbruck, noted that the government’s program includes a commitment to improving the lives of women in Austria.
Ludwig pointed to the National Action Plan against Violence against Women, the tax exemption for hygiene products, and the recognition of care work as strenuous labor as positive steps. However, she also emphasized the importance of recognizing policies that, while not explicitly labeled as “gender politics,” still have an impact on society and gender relations.
As an example, Ludwig cited social cuts in regions governed by the ÖVP and the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), such as Styria, which disproportionately affect women and single mothers. A similar situation is developing in Vienna.
Economic Measures Crucial for True Equality
Ludwig also criticized what she described as a reluctance from the ÖVP to embrace more progressive gender policies, including decriminalizing abortion. She noted a perceived imbalance in the coalition government, with the SPÖ focused on women’s issues while other parties prioritize the economy and foreign policy. “It’s as if one has nothing to do with the other,” she said.
Ludwig stressed that economic measures are essential for achieving gender equality, stating, “There will be no gender justice without a change in the economy.” She described laws like the pay transparency directive as a small step that must be integrated into a larger framework.
Calls for Affordable Childcare and Work Redistribution
A widespread guarantee of childcare opportunities is crucial for meaningful change, according to Ludwig. Feminist political scientist Birgit Sauer echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of affordable or free childcare for women’s participation in the workforce. Sauer also argued for a redistribution of labor and financial resources, so that care work is compensated equally to paid employment.
Sauer argued that the expectation that care work be unpaid, private, and primarily performed by women is a major driver of discrimination in the workplace. She called for laws requiring companies to financially contribute to care work, as they also benefit from it – for example, through the children raised by women who will later become part of the workforce. Such measures would need to be supported by public investment, she acknowledged, a challenge in times of austerity.
Currently, Austria’s public childcare and eldercare infrastructure is “very poor,” leading many women to work part-time involuntarily. “And that is, of course, fatal,” Sauer said. Austria’s employment rate for women is among the lowest in the EU, contributing to its overall ranking below the EU average in gender equality.
The Women’s Ministry stated that a legal right to childcare from the age of one is not currently included in the government’s program, but that it is focused on expanding existing services and implementing a second mandatory kindergarten year. Childcare provisions vary significantly across Austria’s regions, as the responsibility lies with the individual states.
Traditional Gender Roles Persist
Finally, experts point to Austria’s traditional gender culture as a contributing factor. Both Ludwig and Sauer noted that gender roles in Austria remain very traditional. Ludwig described a “very strong patriarchal idealization of the family,” and a perception that sending children to kindergarten is detrimental to their development, a view less common in Nordic countries.
“Gender justice will only be achieved when gender culture changes,” Ludwig said. The experts advocate for increased education in kindergartens and schools, emphasizing that gender is a learned construct. Children and young people need to understand that masculinity and femininity are not restrictive concepts, but can be shaped in ways that do not perpetuate inequality.
Minister Holzleitner recently launched an awareness campaign to highlight the structural disadvantages faced by women. The Women’s Ministry stated that gender policy is successful when structural inequalities are dismantled and women are truly free to produce their own choices about their lives, work, and future.
