Under ÖVP and FPÖ

Greens see women’s rights in Austria in danger

Minister of Justice Alma Zadić

(Bild: APA/Tobias Steinmaurer)

The Greens see Austria's women's rights in danger under a right-wing government. According to Justice Minister Alma Zadić, the ÖVP's image of women is outdated. In the FPÖ, women are even equated with mothers, said Meri Disoski.

Party leader Kickl would emulate Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Zadić described the ÖVP's image of women as outdated, as they assume that "moms and grannies will sort it out". The National Council election on Sunday was a "directional decision" in terms of women's rights.

According to the two politicians, the Greens are the only party with a "genuine and credible program for women." Examples include the first women's health report in ten years and a tripling of the women's budget.

More fathers on parental leave
Other goals of the party: a legal entitlement to childcare from the first birthday, part-time models for fathers and more men on parental leave. Equality in texts should not be abandoned either: If there are laws in male form, it should be self-evident that they also exist in female form, Zadić said on Tuesday. Such a law had been published the previous year, causing a huge outcry from the ÖVP and FPÖ.

The Greens are also in favour of more violence clinics, the legalization of abortion, free contraceptives and more women's health centers.

However, a modern image of women also means that women must have the freedom to choose how they want to shape their lives, regardless of whether they want to work full-time or be a housewife.

FPÖ-Frauensprecherin Rosa Ecker

FPÖ: "Just gender madness"
A reaction from the FPÖ was not long in coming. Women's spokeswoman Rosa Ecker accused the Greens of "just indulging in gender madness" instead of dealing with the real problems. The FPÖ had always stood up for a modern image of women. "However, a modern image of women also means that women must have the freedom to choose how they want to shape their lives, regardless of whether they want to work full-time or be a housewife."