The FemPower Initiative of ZIT
The share of women in corporate research in Vienna is 21%. A look at the number of graduates in scientific and technical fields shows that valuable personnel resources remain unused. As the Technology Agency of the City of Vienna, providing financial support and consulting services for Viennese companies is the core responsibility assigned to ZIT. In order to increase the percentage of women engaged in corporate research, ZIT launched a comprehensive package of measures in 2004 with its Initiative FemPower Vienna – ranging from ongoing gender monitoring of funding data to FemPower Calls to the FemPower Bonus for female project managers.
Bonus for female project managers
A bonus amounting to EUR 10,000 is granted if it can be conclusively demonstrated that the project management has been assigned to a qualified woman. This creates a structural incentive designed to assist women in assuming more leadership positions. The primarily male-dominated culture prevailing in projects is thus more frequently called into question – hopefully in favor of a more gender-democratic approach.
