Same payment for everyone: Women fight against income differences!

Same payment for everyone: Women fight against income differences!

St. Pölten, Österreich - The inequalities between men and women in the world of work have long been known, but they are still terrifyingly present. In Lower Austria, women work up to the "Equal Pay Day", which took place this year on February 12, virtually for free, which means that on average they earn 11.7 percent less than their male counterparts. The “losing” days a year add up to 43, and over the entire working life, these are remarkable eight years without adequate payment. These alarming numbers were highlighted by State Councilor Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister (ÖVP) at an appointment in St. Pölten. In her view, this is a clear indication that World Women's Day is still important in order to draw attention to these injustices that women see themselves in a variety of pressure in professional reality, which also affects their health. According to Teschl-Hofmeister, unpaid "care work" and other stresses cause a higher risk of heart attacks in women.

The effects of the income differences are serious. 28 percent of the sole living pensioners are at risk of poverty, while it is only 17 percent in men. Despite better training, many women still choose poorly paid professions. The State Councilor illustrated this based on salaries: an installer earns more than a retail clerk over 800 euros per month, which is over 384,000 euros in 40 years of work. To counteract this, the state of Lower Austria has launched various initiatives. This includes online tools for career orientation, "Girls Day" events and the Lower Austrian politics Mentoring program for women, which starts a new round in September to increase the proportion of women in local politics, where only 27 percent of the municipal councils are currently female.

public perception and care require attention

The discrepancy between the sexes is also evident in political participation. Although Lower Austria is at the top with 83 mayors, there can be no talk of a real representation. Teschl-Hofmeister also spoke about the necessary improvement in the compatibility of work and family in order to encourage more women to participate in political participation. She also emphasized the role of women's and girls' advice centers, which are essential for support and education in financial and professional questions. These advice centers are an important point of contact to clarify women about their rights and opportunities, which is underpinned by numerous examples from practice, such as by Elisabeth Cinatl, the chairman of the network of Austrian women's and girls advice centers.