Dr. Susanne Raab

Susanne Raab was appointed Federal Minister for Women and Integration in the Federal Chancellery in January 2020. Her portfolio was subsequently expanded to include family policy issues (since February 2021) and media policy issues (since January 2022). Federal Minister Raab was also responsible for the Republic of Austria's youth agendas from February to December 2021, before a new State Secretariat for Youth Agendas was established in the Federal Chancellery. Prior to her appointment as Minister, Susanne Raab held various senior positions in the civil service. Among other positions, she was head of the Integration Coordination Department and subsequently head of the Integration Section at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. As an expert in the field of integration policy, she has helped to develop and implement key policy reforms, such as Austria's first Integration Act, which enshrines the rights and obligations of migrants and recognized refugees in law. Susanne Raab studied psychology (Mag. rer. nat) and law (Mag. iur) and completed her doctoral studies at the University of Innsbruck. Here she also worked as a research assistant in the legal department before moving to the Migration and Asylum Department of the Ministry of the Interior as a consultant. Minister Raab has been responsible for a number of important policy reforms since taking office in January 2020: she was able to increase the budget in the area of women's and gender equality policy by more than 80 percent within two years and pass the largest violence prevention and protection package to date. It is also focusing on empowering girls and women, particularly with regard to promoting girls and women in STEM fields. Its priorities in the area of integration are combating parallel societies and extremism, and integrating and empowering women with an immigrant background. In the area of family policy, she worked with the states to expand childcare services and provide financial support to families to help them survive the corona pandemic. In the area of media policy, Minister Raab launched a comprehensive consultation process with the domestic media industry and the most important experts from the fields of media science & research, advertising, law and public procurement practice, as well as representatives of the social partners, provincial governments and municipalities for a media policy reform. In October 2022, the key points of the reforms in the area of media promotion and media transparency could already be presented to the public. Susanne Raab is married and has a son who was born during her term of office.