Strong women, strong men: together for the future of the economy!

Strong women, strong men: together for the future of the economy!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On March 7, 2025, the event "Strong men and strong women together for Lower Austria's business" took place in the Vienna Palais Lower Austria, organized by Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Wolfgang Ecker, the President of the Lower Austria Chamber of Commerce. On the occasion of the upcoming World Women's Day, prominent guests such as Martin Kocher, Gunter Mayr and Maria Großbauer discussed the central role of women in business. Mikl-Leitner made it clear that the old saying "behind every successful man is a strong woman" belongs to the past: "We need strong men and strong women in order to be successful in challenging times," said the governor. She emphasized the need to encourage women and give confidence in order to bring more in management positions.

economic effects of equality

In connection with the discussion about equality, the IHK Schwaben reported that around 88,000 employees work in its region, 79 percent of which are women. This inequality not only harms women, but also the economy as a whole, as can be seen from various studies. With a higher proportion of women in management positions, companies have a 62 percent higher probability of being above average profitable. This knowledge underlines urgency to promote women more and to ensure equality, while the shortage of skilled workers becomes increasingly serious. "We lose workforce if women cannot work full -time," said Reinhold Braun, President of the IHK Schwaben.

To counter the situation, both politics and companies are required. In Lower Austria, the government plans to invest 750 million euros in the expansion of childcare in order to improve the compatibility of work and family. Mikl-Leitner also demands a family climate in companies and flexible working time models and mentoring programs for women. World Women's Day therefore not only stands for the demand for equality, but is also a call to all companies to actively use and promote the potential of women in order to ultimately also increase economic performance. These topics are also important for the future development in Germany, such as the analysis of