Equality in focus: Styria relies on violence and opportunities for women
On International Women's Day 2025, progress and challenges in the equality of gender in Styria will be discussed.
Equality in focus: Styria relies on violence and opportunities for women
The situation in Styria regarding violence against women is alarming and requires urgent measures. Domestic violence affects women from all social classes, and research shows that every fifth woman in Austria is confronted with physical or sexual violence in the course of her life, although the number of unreported people may be significantly higher. Affected people are often caught in a vicious cycle, which is reinforced by a lack of awareness and underfunding of public support institutions, as steiermark.
In order to meet this challenge, the Styrian authorities have launched a variety of initiatives that aim to prevent and combat violence. As part of the Istanbul Convention, which came into force in 2014, Austria assumed legal obligations to sustainably combat violence against women. In Styria, women's shelters and crisis facilities are central elements of violence protection, whereby only women and their children have a regulated right to protection, as the report of
Styria is also progressive in promoting gender equality. Regina Geiger from the Styrian Employment Promotion Society emphasizes the important role of women in the labor market, which increasingly also play management positions. The proportion of women at ÖBB is more than twice as high compared to 2014, which underlines a pleasant trend in professional equality. At the same time, Maria Dirry emphasizes the need for affordable childcare to support the professional realization of women, and informs about the expansion of institutions that includes 279 new groups in kindergartens and cribs over the past five years. Styria has committed itself to seriously addressing the challenges of violence and equality. Proven programs and a highly outsourced offer of help take into account the sense of justice of the company. Experts like Michaela Gosch underline the need to develop a networked and comprehensive concept for the protection of affected women and children, which also includes the work of perpetrators and the sensitization of young men. growth in promoting women and support