Claudia Arpa remains SPÖ women's boss: Change in women's policy!

Claudia Arpa remains SPÖ women's boss: Change in women's policy!

On March 27, 2025, the district women's conference of the SPÖ in Carinthia announced that Claudia Arpa, as chairwoman of the SPÖ women, will remain in office. In her speech, Arpa emphasized the need for noticeable changes in women's policy, especially in the areas of education, career opportunities, social security and equality. Michaela Lietscher, Vice Mayor of Wolfsberg, was elected deputy and will support Arpa and the team significantly. The conference was accompanied by prominent guests, including Vice Mayor Alexander Radl and St. Andrä Mayor Maria Knaunder, who both underlined the importance of a strong women's policy.

A central concern of Arpa is to improve the conditions for women in society. Petra Oberrauner, the SPÖ state women's chairman and Member of the National Council, gave a presentation of the current challenges that women face. She encouraged those present to network and actively shape their future. The newly formed district women's team starts with clear goals in the upcoming period and is committed to further promoting gender equality.

challenges of equality

The educational and career opportunities for women are still characterized by gender differences. The BPB indicates that access to the labor market depends heavily on education. In 2022, 61.6 % of men had no school leaving certificate, while the proportion of women was 38.4 %. These figures show that the entry into professional life is difficult without formal school leaving certificate.

Furthermore, women obtained the right to study than men. In the 2022 end year, the priority rate for women was 54.7 %, while it was only 42.6 % in men. Despite these successes, there are still a strong inequality in certain areas, such as the MINT professions (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology). The proportion of women in MINT apprenticeship professions in the dual system remained constant at 10.8 %between 2017 and 2022, which indicates deeper gender preferences in the choice of career.

educational inequality between the sexes

In addition to equality, it is worth noting that women are strongly underrepresented in certain fields of study. In the study subject engineering, for example, the proportion of women increased from 21.2 % in 2012 to 25.9 % in 2022. However, 75 % of the final exams were taken by men. In 2022, however, 86.6 % of the final exams passed female graduates in the teaching position of primary area, where more women study. These figures show that the educational success of women is often not reflected in the same standards as in men on the labor market, as well as the BPB documented.

summarized, the challenge for the SPÖ women and their supporters are not only improving the educational opportunities, but also optimizing the associated career opportunities and the positions actually achieved in working life. The future that Claudia Arpa and her team strive for includes above all an equally more and just society for women.