Women in business

Two female entrepreneurs show how it can be done

Stephanie Neuner (left) and Lina Graf.(Bild: Christoph Ascher, Michael Engele)

We present two examples in the Tyrolean economy of how women can make it in a male-dominated field. Cohesion and courage are particularly important, as the two female entrepreneurs describe.

Women first had to fight for the right to earn their own living. Until the family reform in 1975, they still needed their husband's permission to go out to paid work.

Children remained a "woman's issue". A double burden that women in particular still have to bear today. This makes it difficult to enter the world of entrepreneurship.

At first, she sacrificed her career and subordinated herself to her husband.

Horst Schreiber über Therese Mölk

But there are role models, such as Therese Mölk, who died in 1958 at the age of 86. "At first, she sacrificed her career and subordinated herself to her husband," Horst Schreiber describes the patriarchal situation in "Frauen in Tirol". "On the one hand, she fulfilled her prescribed role as a mother (ten children), while at the same time being a farmer's wife who looked after her husband's farms during his absence (World War I)." Nowadays you can find MPreis branches all over the country.

Reconciling family and career
In the meantime, more women have managed to assert themselves as entrepreneurs. They make up 40.6% of entrepreneurs. The race to catch up is similar in terms of company start-ups, where women already accounted for 47.8% last year. The Chamber of Commerce emphasizes that one of the biggest challenges continues to be the compatibility of family and career. "Comprehensive childcare provision is essential," emphasizes Anna Kurz, chairwoman of the gastronomy trade group.

Stephanie Neuner (40) is an entrepreneur, herbal expert and mother. She has been running her business for 15 years and has five employees.(Bild: CHRISTOPH ASCHER)

Two entrepreneurs encourage others
Herbal expert Stephanie Neuner, who took over her mother's Tyrolean family business, has experienced this first-hand. The 40-year-old has been an entrepreneur for 15 years. "There is little point in conforming to traditional role models," says Neuner when asked what has helped her to assert herself in an often male-dominated business world. "It's also essential to network with people who offer mutual support." However, she was not without hurdles: "It requires a high degree of self-confidence and a lot of perseverance."

It is also essential to network with people who offer mutual support.

Stephanie Neuner

Lina Graf is also a successful entrepreneur with her app for women's health. At the age of 27, she has already shown a lot of courage: "I come from a working-class family in a small Tyrolean village - becoming an entrepreneur was not in the cards for us," she says.

Lina Graf (27) has been running her company since 2021 and has three employees.(Bild: Michael Engele)

But she also encourages other women: "I firmly believe that background doesn't determine how far you get - it's the will to make a difference." Her advice: "Believe in yourselves. We need to break down old role models and encourage women to think big and take risks."