Austria boosts women's budget by 61% to €55 million annually

The Austrian federal government has announced a significant boost to its women’s budget. Starting in the 2027/28 double budget, the funding will rise to €55 million annually. This marks a 61 percent increase from the previous year’s €34.1 million. A large portion of the new budget will support women’s and girls’ counselling centres. These centres currently provide around 200,000 consultations across the country each year. Additional funds will also strengthen violence protection services.

Violence protection centres will receive €1.75 million, with €1 million earmarked for outpatient clinics. Another €3 million, secured through an extended Article 15a agreement with federal states, will go to women’s shelters, crisis intervention, and legal victim support.

The StOP programme, which focuses on neighbourhoods without partner violence, will get €150,000 from the women’s budget. Digital violence will also receive greater attention, with ZARA receiving €150,000 annually to tackle the issue.

The Equal Treatment Commission and the Office of the Equal Treatment Ombud will share roughly €9 million. Women’s Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ) stated that the increase came after difficult budget negotiations. Funding for these initiatives is now guaranteed until 2031. The budget rise totals around €21 million, bringing the annual women’s budget to €55 million. The additional funds will expand support for counselling, violence prevention, and legal services. The changes aim to strengthen protections and resources for women and girls across Austria.