Männer.MINT.Care: Equal Care@Work Project
The division of paid work and care work in Austria continues to be characterised by gender-specific inequalities: women take on the lion’s share of unpaid care work and, as a result, interrupt their paid work more often and are more likely to work fewer hours than men. The resulting ‘gender care gap’ is due in no small part to gender role models, stereotypical attributions and “traditional” family models. Caregiving is still perceived as a ‘feminine’ quality, while men are assigned the role of breadwinner or provider.
The unequal distribution is also influenced by different working conditions and corporate cultures, which are also linked to gender – or more precisely, to the gender (im)balance in a particular field: ‘Male-dominated’ fields such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) often offer fewer opportunities to balance work and care responsibilities, as evidenced by widespread full-time norms, long working hours, high pressure to perform and constant availability.
With this in mind, the project aims to identify workplace conditions, forms of work organisation, corporate cultures, working practices and social norms that either promote or hinder work-life balance. The goal is to use this info to come up with and share ways to reduce the gender care gap in Austrian STEM companies.
Procet findigs are:
- Austria-wide survey to assess the status quo regarding working conditions and work-life balance options in STEM companies (research report)
- Moderated exchange between STEM companies to learn more about challenges and solutions relating to men and work-life balance in companies (‘company peering’ and practical report)
- Raising awareness and promoting equal care in STEM companies through twelve different workshops (workshop offerings and practical report)
- Dissemination of findings (podcast series, newsletter, symposiums and final conference)
Three operational work packages will be implemented as part of the project:
The project results will be made available to the public in various formats.
Thematic symposia and closing event
Information to follow
The project is particularly notable for its combination of research and practice, which is ensured by the broad project partnership involving various institutions. The project is being carried out by L&R Sozialforschung (lead partner) in collaboration with ABZ*AUSTRIA, Papainfo, the Ombud for Equal Treatment (GAW), the Chamber of Work in Vienna (AK) und dem Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB).
In order to ensure that the findings can be put into practice, the project is supported by an advisory board of experts. Representatives from the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research (BMFWF), the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), the Federal Chancellery (BKA), the City of Vienna, the Chamber of Agriculture, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), MP2 IT-Solutions. In addition, the project is supported by a transnational advisory board of experts, which ensures exchange with other EU countries. Representatives from Bielefeld University (Germany), Stockholm University (Sweden), Research4Consulting (Spain) and the German Trade Union Confederation are involved.
The project is co-financed by the European Commission as part of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV).
The contents of this project are the sole responsibility of L&R Sozialforschung, ABZ*AUSTRIA, Papainfo, the Ombud for Equal Treatment Office (GAW), the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK) and the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.
Team: Claudia Sorger, Nadja Bergmann, Ronja Nikolatti
from: 2025 to: 2027