Career barriers & equal opportunities

Women are still strongly underrepresented at the top management level in Austria, although a high proportion of women in management generates many positive effects, such as fairer payment practices, more sustainable investments, but also a more secure position on the capital market. This paper explains why this imbalance exists and what measures can be taken to counteract it. The theoretical analysis of the causes provides good food for thought for the practical handling of the topic. It explains systemic barriers that prevent women from advancing in their careers. This identifies the main cause of the low representation of women in management positions due to the established system in Austria. The state regulates mainly by means of the women's quota, but voluntary recommendations and the improvement of the framework conditions with regard to maternity protection, parental leave, care leave and childcare options could also reduce the systemic challenges for women. Proposed solutions from the private sector are also presented in the paper.