Sabine Mandl
Sabine Mandl is a Senior Researcher on (In-)Equality and Non-Discrimination at the LBI-GMR and has been working at the institute since 2000. Her research focuses on women’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, equality, anti-discrimination, and intersectionality. Sabine holds a Masters degree in Political Science from the University of Vienna. She is also a PhD candidate at the Department of Political Science, with her dissertation on “Vulnerabilities in Times of Crisis in the Context of Disability: An Intersectional and Human Rights Perspective”.
For more than two decades, Sabine Mandl has been engaged in applied human rights research, coordinating and contributing to numerous national and European research projects on violence against women and persons with disabilities, with a particular focus on gender-based violence, equality, anti-discrimination, and inclusion. Her work is informed by participatory and qualitative research approaches. From 2021 to 2025, she was a Senior Researcher at Bertha von Suttner Private University, where she contributed to the FWF-funded project “Cov_enable: Re-imagining Vulnerabilities in Times of Crisis”. She regularly translates research findings into policy and practice through lectures, workshops, and knowledge exchange with academic audiences, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society.
Research Focus
Human Rights, Intersection at Critical Disability Studies/Feminist Theory/Critical Political Science, Gender-Based Violence, Inclusion, Intersectionality, Qualitative Research Methods, Participatory and Arts-Based Research
Publications
2026
- Sax, Helmut; Mandl, Sabine; Rabenlehner, Stephen: ENSURE Project – Ensuring Access to Intermediaries for Children with Disabilities in Legal Proceedings: Nationaler Bericht – Österreich, 2026.
2025
- Bimlinger, Johanna; Wladasch, Katrin; Pritz-Blazek, Constanze; Mandl, Sabine; Riegler, Edith: Status quo-Erhebung von Maßnahmen und Unterstützungsangeboten bei geschlechterbasierter Gewalt an österreichischen Hochschul- und Forschungseinrichtungen, 2025.
- Koenig, Oliver; Mandl, Sabine; Reisenbauer, Simone: Reconfiguring vulnerability and dis/ability: An agential realist exploration to disentangle vulnerability effects in Austria’s COVID-19 response, Sociology of Health and Illness, 2025.
2022
- Lukas, Karin; Mandl, Sabine: Entwurf einer Gender-, Diversitäts- und Inklusions-Policy für die Volkshilfe Österreich/Volkshilfe Solidarität/Volkshilfe Forschung, 2022.
- Schachner, Anna; Mandl, Sabine; Weber, Roman et al.: Bericht zum Forschungsprojekt „Inklusives Altern“. Zusammenfassung in einfacher Sprache, 2022, S. 15.
- Schachner, Anna; Mandl, Sabine; Weber, Roman et al.: Studie Inklusives Altern. Unterstützung und Begleitung von älteren Menschen mit lebensandauernder intellektueller Behinderung und hohem Unterstützungsbedarf in Österreich, 2022.
2021
- Mandl, Sabine; Planitzer, Julia: Wer ist ein Opfer? Der Opferbegriff in der Opferschutzrichtlinie. Eine menschenrechtliche Analyse des Opferbegriffs aus geschlechtsspezifischer Perspektive, in: SIAK Journal – Vierteljahresschrift, 2021, S. 40–55.
2019
- Mandl, Sabine; Nachbaur, Dina; Hosner, Roland; Müller-Funk, Anna: Gewalt gegen Frauen und Mädchen im Netz. Rechtliche Verpflichtungen und ihre Umsetzung in der Praxis, in: Greif, Elisabeth; Ulrich, Silvia (Hrsg.), Hass im Netz – Grenzen digitaler Freiheit, 2019, S. 44–91.
2014
- Mandl, Sabine; Schachner, Anna; Sprenger, Claudia et al.: Hilfe für Frauen mit Behinderungen bei Gewalt. Bericht über das Projekt [in einfacher Sprache], 2014.
- Mandl, Sabine; Schachner, Anna; Sprenger, Claudia et al.: Zugang von Frauen mit Behinderungen zu Opferschutz- und Unterstützungseinrichtungen bei Gewalterfahrungen. Abschließender Projektbericht, 2014.
- Udl, Elisabeth; Vogt, Kathrin; Mandl, Sabine et al.: Gewalt – was kann ich tun? Infos für Frauen mit Behinderungen, 2014.
- Udl, Elisabeth; Vogt, Kathrin; Mandl, Sabine et al.: Zugang von Frauen mit Behinderungen zu Opferschutz- und Unterstützungseinrichtungen bei Gewalterfahrungen. Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen, 2014.
Recent research projects
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Project “Anchor Points” – Rural and Creative Innovation for People Living with Alzheimer’s in Four Municipalities of the Northern Waldviertel
The project “Anchor Points” develops and tests participatory, artistic and creative approaches for rural areas with people with Alzheimer’s, their relatives, and the local community. The project creates new forms of shared creative activities that strengthen social inclusion, create opportunities for people to meet and connect, and bring different perspectives together.
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ENSURE – Ensuring Access to Intermediaries for Children with Disabilities in Legal Proceedings
The EU-co-funded project “ENSURE” aims to improve communication with children with disabilities at court, particularly during criminal proceedings.
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Women* with disabilities as mentors for economic self-determination – strategies for reducing mental load
This participatory project implements an innovative mentoring and dialogue concept together with women* with disabilities across Austria.
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STUDY: Support and accompaniment of elderly/old people with life-long intellectual disability or high support needs in Austria
The aim of this study is to gain a comprehensive and deep insight into the living situation as well as support and assistance of elderly and old people with life-long intellectual disabilities or with high support needs in Austria.
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Development of a Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Policy for Volkshilfe Austria
On behalf of Volkshilfe Solidarität, the LBI-GMR is developing a gender, diversity and inclusion policy for the federal office of Volkshilfe, Volkshilfe Solidarität and Volkshilfe Forschung in Austria.
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AZERBAIJAN: Strengthening the capacity of State bodies and local level referral mechanisms to provide safety and support to victims of domestic violence in Azerbaijan (Twinning)
Legal protection and support for victims of domestic violence in Azerbaijan are to be improved and brought into line with EU standards.
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Consultation for the Austrian Development Co-operation in the thematic fields of Governance, Human Rights and Securing Peace
The project was designed to provide technical advice and support to the Austrian Development Agency and the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in embedding human rights, democracy, good governance, and peacebuilding and conflict prevention in development cooperation.
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RiVi: Rights of Victims of Survived Bodily Harm and Improved Access to Clinical Forensic Examinations
The Rivi Project focuses on the right of victims of violence to access clinical-forensic examinations, regardless of whether or not they file criminal charges.
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Participation for Protection – P4P
The project is a Europe-wide, participatory research initiative on violence against children and adolescents, as well as on the development of child-friendly support services and training materials for professionals based on the perspectives of young people.
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Experiences and prevention of violence against persons with disabilities
This empirical study was the first of its kind in Austria to document the diverse experiences of violence among people with disabilities and mental illness. While the study focused on adults living in institutions, the experiences of violence it surveyed spanned all areas and stages of life.