Women's power in the police: On the way to more managers!

Women's power in the police: On the way to more managers!

Today, March 8, 2025, International Women's Day is celebrated, and the Austrian police reveal a sharp increase in the number of female officers. Of the approximately 32,000 police officers in Austria, around 26 percent are women, and the trend is rising. Of the more than 3,700 prospective police officers in basic training, the proportion of women is around 40 percent. This development is more than encouraging as it provides clear evidence that the Home Office is perceived as an attractive employer for women ots.at reported.

The Ministry of the Interior has taken targeted steps to promote this positive trend. As part of the “Women’s Careers” department, a system was introduced in 2023 that systematically supports women on their career path. The goal is to increase the proportion of female managers to 25 percent by 2030, as currently only 11 percent of internal managers are women. Initiatives such as mentoring programs and specific recruitment campaigns are intended to help inspire women to take up leadership roles at an early stage, reports also zur-sache.at.

Leadership roles and support for women

The recently published interim assessment of these initiatives includes 42 measures to increase the proportion of women in leadership positions, which were initiated by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. A central concern is to support women during and after maternity leave so that they can successfully return to everyday working life. The design of training and further education with female speakers also plays an important role in this strategy in order to best support women on their career path. The proportion of women in the Ministry of the Interior is currently 30.6 percent, although the figures vary considerably for uniformed employees at 24 percent and in security administration at 58 percent.