Female paths

For International Women’s Day: Three women, three careers

Firmly marked in the calendar: International Women's Day is an opportunity to talk about injustices.(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

Does the contested equality already exist in their everyday lives? Three personalities from Salzburg talk about different paths and experiences on International Women's Day. 

One fighter is Christine Haslauer from the Salve Teachers' Association in Salzburg. She raises her voice for teachers and has often put her finger in the wounds of everyday school life. Do women in educational jobs have a harder time than their male colleagues? "What I often notice are injustices when women stay at home longer with their children. This results in a later retirement age and the pension amount is also lower if they work fewer hours to look after their own children," says Haslauer. Mothers are just as often under pressure in the teaching profession. She believes that mandatory pension splitting would be a great step forward in terms of equality.

I do think that society has become more sensitive to women's rights. Such changes take time. Women should build up more networks.

Christine Haslauer, Zentralausschuss Lehrervertretung und Verein Salve

Bild: Harald Kienzl

A career path requires talent, hard work, perseverance and certainly luck. Female doctors are still catching up a little too slowly. But many are already succeeding.

Rosemarie Forstner, leitende Oberärztin Uniklinik für Radiologie

Bild: Diverse Fotografen honorarfrei

Rosemarie Forstner, senior consultant at the University Clinic for Radiology in Salzburg, has had an exceptional career. How difficult is it to land in the top segment? "One thing is for sure, you don't get there automatically," says Forstner, who has just been awarded the gold medal at the world's second largest radiology congress.top doctor promotes young female colleaguesShe has never felt disadvantaged as a woman. However, for female colleagues in particular, multiple responsibilities are often a handicap for their careers. That is why she is keen to support young female doctors. Forstner: "It should be everyone's concern that careers for women are possible without restrictions."

I think International Women's Day is a good opportunity to remind people of injustices. In general, however, Austria is certainly on the right track.

Inge Stolz, Burgverwalterin Mauterndorf

Society in Austria is also on the right track when it comes to women's rights, says Inge Stolz. As the "lady of the castle" of Mauterndorf, she has a historical interest and knows that this was not always the case. She herself never felt any disadvantages as head of the castle. "It's a dream job for me." The ladies have also surprised her with special achievements in the past. She likes to say that it was women who introduced beer brewing.