Women In The Cultural Sector Earn Less Than Men

The first "Gender Report for Arts and Culture," published by the Ministry of Culture of Austria, reveals that although more women work in the arts and culture sector than men, they are paid significantly less. The average income gap, regardless of working hours, is 37 percent. The study, conducted by the OGM Institute and gender expert Petra Unger from 2017 to 2021, surveyed over 900 institutions and 17,000 employees. Women hold 55 percent of paid positions, but full-time, year-round female workers earn 18.7 percent less than men, higher than the national average across all sectors (14.1 percent).

The report also notes a narrowing of the pay gap over the study period, with the gap for full-time employees shrinking from 19.6 percent in 2017 to 17 percent in 2021. Self-employed women in the sector earn 36.5 percent less than men. Though managerial roles are evenly split by gender (49 percent men, 49 percent women), men dominate higher-income executive positions, with 64 percent earning over 100,000 euros annually.

Key recommendations include resuming gender advancement plans, implementing gender mainstreaming, addressing precarious employment, and improving data collection across sectors. Minister of Culture Werner Kogler stressed the need for ongoing efforts to achieve gender equality.