“Cities and Gender – Empowering women in business, the digital transition and the media”

International women’s day event at the Vienna house in Brussels

Vienna (OTS/RK) – Yesterday, Wednesday, was held at the Vienna house in Brussels is the traditional International women’s day event. This Time, three topics were in the focus of the “World Café”, to come to the many interested women in the digital world, in the media and in the economy, i.e. councils in the Executive bodies and supervision. The event was jointly organised by the liaison office of the city of Vienna and the Brussels office of the Vienna business Agency and the Vienna public utilities and was under the patronage of the town councillors Kathrin Gaál for women and Ulli Sima for the company, as well as digital Councilman Peter Hanke.

“The women’s day at Vienna city hall is held under the Motto ‘100 years of women’s right to vote – Our voice counts.’ What is today, of course, was a political milestone, for women, has set the course for where we are today. In this sense, it is important that women are heard and that they use their voice,“ said Vienna’s councillor Kathrin Gaál in your greeting word, with a view to the EU elections in may 2019

In his greeting word the city Council stressed Hanke, how important it is that in the Wake of the increasing digitalisation are all taken, especially the women.

Michaela Kauer, head of the liaison office of the city of Vienna to the EU, opened the event in this sense: “Each new development, also at the EU level, and must be examined in terms of their impact on gender equality. It can’t be that certain developments in the women instead of the opportunities to harvest only the risks, such as the digital change in our society. Just on International women’s day is again a lot of talk about women and their rights, and reported from the cities such as Vienna, can learn from the EU for their policy of equality.“

Round tables with a lot of discussion and clear results

At the first round table, organised by the Vienna business Agency, launched Karin Dogl, responsible for promotions in the field of research & technology of the Vienna business Agency, the discussion. Topics such as reducing the digital Gender Gap, measures to promote women in the digital sector and in new technologies and so-called “MINT”subjects were the focus of lively debates. A broad consensus there was to the claim that in the digital strategy of the EU is a clear Gender Mainstreaming approach is anchored and the current initiatives of the Commission in the area of “Women in digital” will be followed by the next Commission. Susanne Strohm, head of the Brussels office of the Vienna business Agency emphasised that the economic Agency to pursue for many years, a Gender Mainstreaming approach in all its activities, and many special support measures. Currently, the Vienna business Agency is also a pioneer in the area of “Gender Bias and rating systems,” and continues as one of the first regional funding apart in Austria with the issue of gender-appropriate procurement and selection methods.

The second theme, women as Supervisory councilors and women leaders in the economy, is a bestseller in the debate at the EU level, is still, unfortunately, without concrete targets for member States. Elisa Schenner, head of the Brussels office of the Vienna public utilities, initiated the discussion with insights in the various initiatives for the promotion of women in the Vienna city works. In the excited debate has been discussed on political and company-internal measures to increase the proportion of Women in the economy. Overall, the participants reiterated mandatory quotas for Supervisory boards of the EU.

Stereotyping and sexist portrayals of women are, unfortunately, still commonplace in the world of media. This was the focus of the third round table. The women’s Department of the city of Vienna has done a lot of preparatory work. Important, according to Ricarda Götz, an expert on gender issues, it is recognised that in the case of the girls. She presented the many activities and projects of the city of Vienna, such as the “Education Box”, the new girl workshops with Digital Storytelling and a range of information materials, the aim is to contribute to greater self-awareness, for example, “girls in net” and “Sex.0“. The international and European networking of cities in gender equality is more relevant than ever, these questions, the Vienna-initiated network “FemCities takes”.

Links:

[https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/frauen/pdf/maedchen-im-netz.pdf]
(https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/frauen/pdf/maedchen-im-netz.pdf)

[https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/frauen/pdf/sexnull.pdf]
(https://www.wien.gv.at/menschen/frauen/pdf/sexnull.pdf)

[www.femcities.at] (http://www.femcities.at)

(Final)

Andrea king, liaison officeüro of the city of Vienna
+32 2 743 8503
andrea.koenig@wien.gv.at