Women in Austrian Politics

Milestones

1918
The freedom of association and assembly irrespective of age and gender is introduced. Women get the right to vote and exercise it for the first time in 1919.

1927
Olga Rudel-Zeynek (Christian Social Party) becomes the first president of the Federal Council, the Austrian senate. She is thus the first woman globally to head a parliamentary body.

1929
Austria’s first women’s party is founded.

1945
Helene Postranecky (Communist Party) becomes the first female state secretary (for food security).

1948
Zenzi Hölzl (Social Democratic Party) becomes the first female mayor in Austria (in the town of Gloggnitz).

1966
Grete Rehor (Austrian People’s Party) becomes the first female federal minister (for social affairs).

1979
The institutionalization of gender politics begins with the creation of a state secretariat for general female affairs, as well as a state secretariat for working women’s affairs.

1990
Johanna Dohnal (Social Democratic Party) becomes the first minister for women’s affairs

1993
Heide Schmidt (Liberal Forum) becomes the first female party chairperson.

1994
Madeleine Petrovic (Greens) and Heide Schmidt are the first female front runners of a political party at a national election.

1996
Waltraud Klasnic (Austrian People’s Party) becomes the first governor of an Austrian state (Styria).

2000
Susanne Riess-Passer (Freedom Party) becomes the first female vice-chancellor of Austria.

2002
Hilde Zach (For Innsbruck) becomes the first female mayor of a state capital (Innsbruck/Tyrol)

2003
Brigitte Bierlein becomes vice president of the Austrian Constitutional Court and the first woman in its executive committee.

2006
Barbara Prammer (Social Democratic Party) becomes the first female president of the National Council, the Austrian House of Representatives.

Olga Rudel-Zeynek 
Bildarchiv Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

Grete Rehor 
Bildarchiv Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

Johanna Dohnal 
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