About the Research

Commissioned by the Diocesan Women’s Commission (DFK), the ifz has conducted an interview study in 2018 that centered on women working in the Archdiocese of Salzburg. The project’s aim was to identify topics in need of further investigation.

Building on the findings of this study, the follow-up project “Regional Women’s Forums” seeks to deepen insights by conducting further surveys and communicating the findings to the leadership of the diocese. In addition, the project aims to strengthen local networks: It brings together women working and volunteering in various professions and in different sectors to discuss their motivations to work for the church and to learn about their views on aspects that need to change. This involves very different groups of people – for instance, pastoral assistants, religious education teachers, members of women’s orders, or female parish council members. Often, they know very little about each other.

In 2022, a total of five Regional Women’s Forums will be held in the City of Salzburg, the district Salzburg-Umgebung, the Innergebirge region, and the Tyrolean parts of the diocese. In preparation, the members of the Diocesan Women’s Commission have conducted interviews with women in positions that function as multipliers via their regional networks. The ifz assists in the conception and implementation of these measures and is responsible for evaluating and documenting the findings.