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The Women in Law Conference | Vienna | September 11-13, 2025
Category

Blog

Decoding CEDAW: Austria’s International Obligations to Combat and Confront Gender Stereotyping

This text explores the complex and intricate relationship between law and gender stereotypes, particularly focusing on Austria's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The growing interest and research in gender stereotyping within the area of human rights and women's rights is undoubtfully noteworthy. Nonetheless, legal complexities arise in defining and confronting gender stereotypes, given their subtle, yet significant influence on societal norms and individual liberties. This examination seeks to assess Austria’s compliance with its obligations under CEDAW, highlighting both the efforts made and the challenges faced in eliminating harmful and wrongful gender stereotypes. This is done through the lens of the analysis provided by the CEDAW Committee’s case-law and Austria’s reports and communication in the past years. While Austria’s engagement with the CEDAW Committee is not without flaws and has room for improvement, it does demonstrate some tangible effects.

Intergenerational Career Planning: Insights from the Women in Law Conference

The Women in Law Conference highlighted topics like intergenerational career planning, importance of networking, and flexibility in career paths. Alisa Grafton focused on networking skills and human connections. The traditional trajectory for lawyers is shifting, with younger professionals preferring diverse experiences. Susan Cox emphasized networking and the importance of a supportive framework. Marita Haas underscored transparency in career paths, while Ingeborg Edel stressed adaptability. A shared theme was embracing flexibility and diversity, and understanding varied needs of different generations in the legal profession.

Gen Z will make the legal professions more diverse.

A panel of young professionals discussed the influence of Generation Z, born between the late 1990s and mid-2000s, on the legal world. They predicted that Gen Z's digital savviness, commitment to diversity, work-life balance, and social justice advocacy will bring significant transformations. Gen Z's preference for experiential learning will also reshape legal education methods, making the profession more adaptive and ready to address 21st-century challenges.

How to take the next step: From Anti-Discrimination to Gender Equality 2.0

The future legal workplace will undergo significant transformation due to technology integration, remote work, and ethical challenges. Women have a critical role to play in this evolution by mentoring, driving innovation, and promoting inclusivity. Companies must embrace technology, encourage innovation, and implement flexible work policies to be more open-minded, efficient, and innovative.

New Work – Tech, Platforms, and AI

The future legal workplace will undergo significant transformation due to technology integration, remote work, and ethical challenges. Women have a critical role to play in this evolution by mentoring, driving innovation, and promoting inclusivity. Companies must embrace technology, encourage innovation, and implement flexible work policies to be more open-minded, efficient, and innovative.

Navigating the Complex Landscape of Gendered Ageism, Class, and Violence

The panel dissected women's rights issues, specifically ageism and its intersection with gender. The conversation expanded to broader themes including class's effect on discrimination, violence against women, and societal expectations of women's roles. The panelists emphasized the persistence of patriarchal structures, mandatory legal reforms, and revision of societal norms to achieve a more equitable future for women.

Women Earn Less Than Men – How to Eliminate the Gender Pay Gap Now

The Women in Law conference held a discussion about the gender pay gap. Panelists explored factors causing wage disparity, including workplace discrimination, less effective salary negotiations, and motherhood-related career disruptions. The importance of pay transparency, maternity leave attitudes, and modernized employment frameworks were also discussed. The panelists expressed a common vision for a future with fairness, inclusivity, and a redefined understanding of work value.

New Work Panel

Digitization, automation, Artificial Intelligence, work-life-blending, collaboration, remote work, and agility were at the core of the discussion on New Work which had going from ‘living to work’ to ‘working to live’ as its motto.