8 March: Parr (Caritas Austria), “every day, we meet women who have to choose between heating and eating”

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Caritas points out the multiple ongoing crises that are disproportionately affecting women. “Needs in Austria are on the rise. And it is women who are most in need in Austria. The year 2023 and an alleged gender equality will not change this fact”, said Caritas Secretary General Anna Parr in a statement today. Many reasons can lead to poverty among women: lower wages in female-dominated sectors such as the service sector, a high level of part-time employment, and having to bear the greater burden of caring for and looking after children and close relatives. “We have to get out of the ‘gender care gap’”, said Anna Parr. For her, only a successful reform of the labour market can prevent poverty for women and their children over the long-term, making it possible for them to live a dignified life with future prospects. “In our 71 social counselling centres throughout Austria, we see that the greatest problems caused by the current rise in inflation affect women, especially single parents, families with children, and those receiving a minimum pension”. According to Caritas, 526,000 women in Austria were at risk of poverty in 2021. The risk of sliding into poverty is higher for women than for men. “These numbers are also visible in our centres”, Parr said. Two-thirds of users are women, and one-third of them are single mothers. “Every day, we meet women who have to choose between heating and eating, and they despair since they cannot send their children to school or buy them a small birthday present”.
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