14 women break the political glass roof: graduation ceremony in Klagenfurt!

14 women break the political glass roof: graduation ceremony in Klagenfurt!

On April 6, 2025, 14 women celebrated their end of the 20th "Political Education" course for 2024/25. click Carinthia reports that this course pursues a decisive goal: increasing the political influence of women and their active participation in political events. State Councilor Sara Schaar warmly congratulated the graduates and emphasized the relevance of her commitment. The graduates were not only taught in constitutional and EU law, but also had the opportunity to expand their knowledge of PR and public relations.

The course also included theme evenings that offered the participants networking and discussions with renowned experts. Among the experts were Kathrin Steiner-Hämmerle, a political and legal scientist, Martina Rattinger, the head of the Carinthia EU connection office in Brussels, and Peter Plaikner, an expert in political and media advice. All graduates also received three coaching lessons to promote their professional and personal development.

political participation of women

Commitment in politics is still a challenge for women. According to information from Bundesstiftung Equality For over 20 years, the proportion of women in the German Bundestag has been constant in about a third. Similar to municipal parliaments: only about 25% of the seats are female here. This illustrates the continued underrepresentation of women in the political landscape, both in parliaments and within the political parties.

The bmfsfj emphasizes that the proportion of women in the Bundestag has dropped from almost 37% in the 18th legislative period to about 31%. Despite more than 100 years of women, this happened, a symbol of the continuous struggle for equality. Only men are represented in some municipal councils, and the management of town halls and district offices by women is around 10%.

challenges and solutions

The reasons for the low presence of women in politics are complex. Party crops, the question of the compatibility of family and work and a lack of role models are mentioned as decisive factors. Political initiatives are therefore necessary to target the recruitment of women for political offices.

The Federal Ministry of Women and Framework programs such as the Helene Weber Kolleg (HWK) therefore rely on various strategies to involve women in politics. The HWK not only offers coaching and support in the network structure, but also awards the Helene Weber Prize to distinguish outstanding local politicians. These programs are intended to strengthen women, to raise their voices and to actively influence them.

In the context of current developments, the importance of such education initiatives such as the conclusion of the "Political Education" course is of crucial relevance. Karin Aichwalder, one of the graduates, emphasizes that the course has conveyed valuable knowledge of the active participation of political processes. This is a step in the right direction to reduce stereotypes and to encourage other women to participate in political participation.

IRMGARD Schluder, deputy chairwoman of the Seminar farmers Carinthia, also comments on the importance of networking among women of different professional groups in order to tackle the challenges in politics together. Overall, these developments show that the commitment of women in politics is crucial for a comprehensive representation and an equal political participation.