Activities

As a political lobby group, our activities are aimed chiefly at the federal government and parliament. We present our positions in letters and statements as well as at hearings. We are in touch with ministers and their staffs, and in frequent exchange with members of the federal parliament.

We publicise our positions and work via our association magazine FrauenRat as well as other media. We organise and participate in campaigns, are represented in a number of commissions and civil society alliances, and communicate with many associations, networks and initiatives. Within the Council, we promote communication and exchange among our member association.

Our Demands

Economy and the labour market:
With our primary aim to ensure economic independence for women, our demands include the following:

Equal pay for equal work
Halt the expansion of the low-wage sector
Extend labour promotion measures also to unemployed persons who do not draw benefits
Establish need-oriented/comprehensive and qualified childcare facilities to enable both women and men to achieve a better work-life-balance
Equal opportunity legislation for the private sector

Social security:
On average, women earn less than men, live longer, and depend more often on social welfare. To prevent female poverty, our demands include the following:

Pensions that can be lived on
Unisex rates also for private old-age pensions, life and health insurance

Tax law:
Traditional models such as the male as provider and the female as non-earning homemaker or supplemental earner no longer reflect social reality. As such, they should not be artificially upheld in tax law.
We therefore call for:

Individual taxation instead of spousal income 'splitting'
Effective tax relief and/or support for all persons with dependents

Health:
Medical research and practice have thus far been oriented primarily towards men. This neglect of women has often led to inappropriate treatment for them. We therefore call for: