Margit Schmidinger from Ottnang is the new head of the Catholic Women’s Movement

Empowering and encouraging women is a major concern for Margit Schmidinger. As honorary chairwoman, the 59-year-old wants to work for more gender equality and opportunities for women in the Catholic Church. “There is still room for improvement,” said the Ottnang native at the diocesan conference on Saturday. She is motivated to help shape the church and to break down restrictive and discriminatory images of women.

Read more about Margit Schmidinger here:

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Schmidinger works as a pastoral assistant in the Schwanenstadt deanery. As a pastor, she leads the “Talita kum” project – a Christian life school for more vitality and joy in life. She has been a spiritual companion for the Catholic Women’s Movement in the Schwanenstadt deanery for many years. The 59-year-old lives with her husband in Ottnang and is the mother of four adult children and two stepchildren.

The 41-year-old religious education teacher Karin Limberger from Pennewang and the 58-year-old employee Christa Steinbüchler from Niederneukirchen were confirmed in their functions as deputies.

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Largest women’s organization

The Catholic Women’s Movement is the largest women’s organization in Upper Austria with around 38,000 members. It is active in around 360 parishes in the state. Its main focuses include the commitment to women in church and society, the development policy initiative “Aktion Familienfasttag”, educational opportunities for women in different life situations and support for women in need in Upper Austria.