World Women’s Day: The police are becoming more feminine

Around 26 percent of the approximately 32,000 police officers in Austria are women. The proportion of women in the police family has increased steadily for many years and will continue to do it. This increasing proportion of women is the evidence that the interior department is an attractive employer.

The trend is also increasing among the more than 3,700 prospective police officers in basic training: the proportion of women in the police school is around 40 percent.

The Ministry of the Interior takes considered steps to win over women and to promote them specifically. Two examples of this:

1. The “Women’s Career” presentation – support with a system

The Ministry of the Interior is committed to increasing and expanding the proportion of female managers. Last year, the “Women’s Careers” presentation was introduced to the Ministry of the Interior to specifically support women on their career path. The employees of the department accompany the implementation and further development of dozens of tailor -made measures that were developed in the working group “Women in Management Positions” – led by state police director Michaela Kohlweiß.

Women’s networks and mentoring programs are being expanded to familiarize women with tasks and requirements in management functions at an early stage.

A central point in the topic of women’s career is also the question of the desire to have children. The interior department has a clear line: that parental leave and career should not contradict each other, but should complement each other. A central range of support is, for example, the “parent compass”. This offers expectant parents an orientation aid during pregnancy, parental leave and when returning to the Federal Service. For this z. For example, special onboarding offers developed that make it easier to return to working life and to the – perhaps now changed – social structure in the workplace.

2. Female Recruiting – Reception with System

In the area of ​​recruitment, the Ministry of the Interior relies on targeted initiatives in order to gain more women to the police. The high proportion of applicants – and police students – shows that this targeted advertising also has an effect and that the police profession is generally just as attractive for women as for men.

A central factor for the Ministry of the Interior is target group -savvy female recruiting, in which the female side of the police communicates at eye level and authentically with interests in order to discuss bilaterally questions and lifelike exchange of experiences – e.g. B. about maternity leave or career – can take place.