Women in management positions: a step towards equality in Austria?

Women in management positions: a step towards equality in Austria?

On March 7, 2025, on the occasion of International Women's Day, work plus Austria will present a pioneering 10-point program for overcoming the existing structures that disadvantage women in working life. In a dedicated call, Manuela Vollmann, the CEO of Work Plus, demands determined political measures to break through the glass ceiling and to ensure the economic independence of women. "Social companies enable economic independence for women - not as a utopia, but as a lived reality," she emphasizes. The program emphasizes the need to reduce structural hurdles that often urge women in part -time jobs and impair their income and economic growth.

Women in leadership positions: Germany lags behind

In the meantime, a report by the Allbright Foundation shows that Germany lags far behind in management positions in the area of ​​equality. Although Petra Scharner-Wolff, as the new Otto Group CEO, is a positive step, the report shows that only 19.7 percent of managers are women in the larger listed companies. The fact that only eight of the 40 largest DAX companies have three or more women in their management teams is particularly alarming. According to experts, the ongoing conservative corporate culture and lack of childcare are essential factors that prevent women from increasing in management positions.

In order to cope with the challenges and promote equality in the long term, targeted measures are particularly necessary. The gender WEATTH GAP, which prevents women from economic success, has to be closed, as does Clara Moder of Work Plus emphasizes. Initiatives such as an independent equality council are crucial to evaluate progress and to propose necessary reforms. In view of the current political and economic framework, companies in Germany and Austria have to take clear steps in order not only to ensure gender justice, but also to understand the basis for a sustainable economy, according to the tenor of both reports. These challenges require a responsibility for society as a whole in order to change the status quo sustainably, as the reform plans of work plus show.

For further insights into equality issues in Austria and Germany see the reports of Work plus and DW.