Revolution of the mayors: Austria's municipalities during the start!

Revolution of the mayors: Austria's municipalities during the start!

A groundbreaking event for women in politics: Austria has a historical record with 236 mayors! On the occasion of the World Women's Day, the Community Association announced that so many female bosses had never been worked in the communities before. "These women are role models for the next generation and actively contribute to the design of their communities," emphasized Johannes Pressl, President of the Community Association, and referred to the important role of local politics. Nevertheless, the proportion of women in management positions with only eleven percent of the municipal head of the community is still in need of improvement, as dolomitenstadt.at.

While Lower Austria is at the top with 15 percent, other federal states such as Vorarlberg and Tyrol suffer from a lack of female leadership with only eight percent. In East Tyrol, this number exceeds the Tirol cut with three out of 33 municipalities, which are led by women. Since last year, in addition to the regular increases, nine new mayors have also been installed in the offices, which were particularly important after the municipal elections in January 2025. Although the number of positive developments is increasing, Pressl warns in a hurry and says: "There is still a lot of room for improvement. We need far more committed women in the communities."

initiatives to promote female leadership

To make it easier for young women to get started with local politics, the “Girls in Politics” project was launched. This program, which has been carried out in cooperation with the Federal Chancellery since 2022, enables girls and young women to accompany their mayor at work for a day. This initiative should not only promote interest in political offices, but also help to increase the visibility of women in politics. In addition, the municipal association organizes a meeting of the mayors annually to strengthen networks and promote the exchange of experiences.