Maintain efforts to further promote gender equality, combat violence against children, and eliminate poverty and social exclusion of children in Austria
Proponent:
On 31 January 2023, the National Council decided to develop a package of measures for child protection. The plan is to develop initiatives to promote the protection of children and young people by implementing concepts and training for professionals, strengthening sexual offences and creating prevention exceptions for perpetrators (National Council meeting on child protection – 195th session of the National Council on 31 January 2023 (195/NRSITZ): https://www.parlament.gv.at/aktuelles/pk/jahr_2023/pk0084#XXVII_NRSITZ_00195). The child protection organisations, such as the Austrian Ombuds Offices for Children and Youths, Austrian Child Protection Centres, NC Kinderrechte, ECPAT Austria and Netzwerk Kinderrechte, believe that the package of measures for child protection is progress in the right direction. However, it requires further steps, especially implementation, in order to see a real change in the protection of children and young people (position paper of the Children’s Rights Network: https://www.kinderhabenrechte.at/positionspapier-kinderschutzpaket-fuer-den-ausserfamiliaeren-kinderschutz/<).
As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government is launching a process to improve child and youth welfare, harmonise standards and provide funding for cross-sectoral projects (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html). According to the Pay Transparency Directive, companies in the EU should in future exchange information on how much they pay women and men for work of equal value and take action if their gender pay gap exceeds 5 per cent. EU member states now have until June 2026 to transpose the directive into national law. This will include more comprehensive disclosure of starting salaries and pay levels, increased reporting obligations for companies and improved access to legal measures for employees. The exact implementation of the directive is not yet known (further information on this: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/themen/europa-aktuell/2023/04/gender-pay-gap-rat-der-eu-nimmt-neue-vorschriften-zur-lohntransparenz-an.html). On 31 January 2023, the National Council decided to develop a package of measures for child protection. The plan is to develop initiatives to promote the protection of children and young people through the implementation of concepts and training for professionals, the strengthening of sexual offences and the creation of prevention exceptions for perpetrators (Nationalratssitzung zum Kinderschutz-
195th session of the National Council of 31 January 2023 (195/NRSITZ): https://www.parlament.gv.at/aktuelles/pk/jahr_2023/pk0084#XXVII_NRSITZ_00195). Child protection organisations such as the Austrian Ombuds Offices for Children and Youths, Austrian Child Protection Centres, NC Kinderrechte, ECPAT Austria and Netzwerk Kinderrechte consider the package of measures on child protection to be progress in the right direction. However, it requires further steps, especially implementation, in order to see a real change in the protection of children and young people
(Position paper of the Children’s Rights Network: https://www.kinderhabenrechte.at/positionspapier-kinderschutzpaket-fuer-den-ausserfamiliaeren-kinderschutz/<).
In the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government commits to the goal of effectively combating child poverty and sustainably improving equal opportunities for all children and young people in Austria (see Government Plan 2025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).
