Analysis provided by Soraya Pascoe, Legal Expert on Gender

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Constitutionally, equality in general, is enshrined in Article 2 of the Basic Law and in Article 7 (1) - (3) of the Federal Constitutional Law. (Paragraph 30, however, does allow for gender distinction in official titles such as academic posts).

In terms of education, access to education in state schools without discrimination is embodied in Article 14 (6) of the Federal Constitutional Law. It also covers other educational institutions from kindergartens to student hostels.

At higher educational level, Section 39 of the Federal Act Governing the Organisation of Universities (1993) has provision to adopt special temporary measures to accelerate a de facto equality between men and women.

The state school system is co-educational, however, some schools have brought in programmes to teach girls in certain classes separately in order to generate confidence in female pupils as they are encouraged to counter gender stereotypical ideas and develop positive self advancement.

There is also private provision for schools run by the Roman Catholic Church which need not conform to state programmes in countering stereotypes in gender roles.

Positive measures to develop female access to and participation in higher education have been legislated in section 39 of the Federal Act Governing the Organisation of Universities (1993).

Further education in the form of development at work is also the subject of anti discrimination legislation. This is found in the Equal Treatment Law 60/01, Article 2(4) prohibits direct or indirect discrimination in making arrangements for further education within the company.

However, in reality, education at compulsory level is gender stereotyped even though, the gender differentiation of teaching handicrafts (textile handicraft for girls; technical handicraft for boys) has been abolished in the 5th and 6th grades. With vocational training also developed on gender lines, research has also shown that women are less likely to continue education beyond compulsory level. Only 9.3 per cent of young women in Austria choose to undertake technical vocational training. In particular, Austria like other countries in the European Union has a deficit of female participation in science and technology generally.

The gender difference in the field of teaching is also very apparent. In the traditional area of school teaching, 80 per cent of primary and special needs school teachers are women, this drops to 60 per cent in secondary education. At university and non university higher educational level, only 7 per cent of teaching staff are women.

The government is seeking to remedy this deficit by introducing scholarship and other positive measures to encourage women into academic posts at the higher level, especially in the sciences.

In order to address the problems faced by women with less education than their male counterparts, often due to societal stereotyping and the subsequent inequality of opportunity in the market place, the government has also introduced business partnership schemes promoting life long learning.

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