Feminist TV Revolution: What the FEM? opens eyes to injustice!

Feminist TV Revolution: What the FEM? opens eyes to injustice!

The feminist TV landscape in Austria experienced remarkable growth with the introduction of “What the FEM?”, the first format of its kind on Austrian television. The program is conceived and designed by the journalist and presenter Juliane Ahrer and has been broadcast on the city broadcaster W24 since April 2023. Each episode lasts 25 minutes and deals with gender policy issues that are highly relevant to society.

The show covers a wide range of topics, ranging from the gender pay gap to the realities of trans people's lives. The key points include:

• Gender Pay Gap
• Altersarmut
• Frauenquote
• Väterkarenz
• Körperliche und emotionale Gewalt gegen Frauen
• Bildungs- und Berufschancen
• Mentale Gesundheit
• Imageprobleme des Feminismus
• Gefährlichkeit des Zuhauses für Frauen
• Lebensrealitäten von Trans-Personen und non-binären Menschen

A strong format with clear objectives

In her moderation, Juliane Ahrer underlines the ongoing gender inequality in society. She emphasizes that in 2023 women will still earn almost 20% less than men. This wage inequality is at the heart of the discussions that take place on the show. Ahrer also addresses the financial hurdles for fathers who want to take a longer maternity leave, and at the same time the challenges that many women face.

Particular attention is paid to the realities of trans people and non-binary people, who are also often confronted with injustice in Austria. “What the FEM?” not only offers in-depth analysis, but also gives practical tips, for example on salary negotiations, to actively support and empower viewers.

Audience numbers and broadcasts

The show is broadcast on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. on W24 and is available on various platforms such as R9 HD, Kabelplus cable network, A1 TV and DVB-T2 (MUX C - Vienna) as well as online. W24 reaches over 1.6 million contacts monthly and has up to 95,000 viewers per day, underlining the relevance and influence of the format.

The director and screenwriter Katharina Mückstein appeared in the debut issue and presented her film “Feminism WTF”, which aims to question anti-feminist clichés and present feminist knowledge. This type of content shows the commitment of “What the FEM?” for an open dialogue about important social issues.

The initiatives behind this program are a clear step in the right direction to bring feminist perspectives into the public discussion and thus make injustices in Austria visible. The platform offers women and men who are interested in feminist issues a voice and an opportunity to address pressing social issues.