Transforming STEM company culture to promote equal care

2026-07-22

"The imbalance between women and men in the takeover of unpaid care work still exists in Austria as well as in the European Union. In view of the EU directive on ""work-life balance"" and its implementation in national law, the area of work is of particular importance in order to reduce the gender-specific care gap and enable women and men to reconcile work and caring responsibilities. As studies show, the barriers are particularly pronounced in certain professions, including production, skilled trades and the ICT sector - professions that are summarised in the STEM sector. Most STEM professions are male-dominated, have high full-time employment and low parental leave rates for men. Despite this, the STEM sector has received little attention in research on the gender care gap. Based on this initial situation, the aim of ""Equal Care@Work"" is to analyse barriers and identify supportive framework conditions and corporate cultures in Austrian STEM companies in order to promote change and a care culture for women and men in this area. The central question is: How can the STEM sector be organised to ensure greater gender equality and a better work-life balance and thus reduce the gender care gap? The project uses a mixed-methods approach to collect empirical data in Austrian STEM companies. Practical implications for various target groups (management, HR, works council) are developed on the basis of the results. Through ""company peering"", an exchange between companies is initiated and awareness-raising in various target groups is promoted through workshops. A central concern is also the dissemination of the results to a wider public via the ""Equal Care@Work Podcasts"". A practice advisory committee has been set up to ensure practical relevance and suitability for the target group. Additionally, the ""European exchange advisory board"" initiates networking and includes expertise and good practice approaches from other EU countries and vice versa. "

Austria

2025-10-15