From May 1995 until January 2007, Gehrer was Federal Minister for Education, Science and Culture, at first in grand coalition governments headed by Franz Vranitzky and Viktor Klima (both SPÖ), and from 2000 onwards in Wolfgang Schüssel's coalition government.

The daughter of a self-employed businessman and a kindergarten teacher, she was brought up and educated in Innsbruck.

[2] Gehrer started her political career in 1980 as a regional politician in Bregenz.

Gehrer announced her decision to step down in the wake of the Austrian legislative election, 2006, and was succeeded on 11 January 2007 by Claudia Schmied and Johannes Hahn.

Gehrer was a scout leader, National Commissioner for Rangers of Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs and teamed Woodbadge trainings (i.e. 1976 in Wassergspreng).