Elfriede Karl (born 14 September 1933 in Salzburg) is a retired Austrian politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria.
[3] Starting in 1971, Elfriede Karl was state secretary for family affairs in the Federal Chancellery under Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.
In 1979, the Ministry of Finance became responsible for family policy, and Karl became a state secretary there.
In 1983, when Fred Sinowatz became Chancellor of Austria, the Federal Ministry for Family, Youth and Consumer Protection was created with Elfriede Karl as its first minister.
Karl was also in favour of granting family benefits to unmarried couples and single parents.