Born in 1954 in Upper Austria Barbara Prammer studied Sociology and graduated at the University of Linz. From 1973 to 1978 she worked as a civil servant at the Municipality in Ottnang am Hausruck (Upper Austria) and from 1986 to 1989 as a social and occupational educator at the Occupational Education and Rehabilitation Centre in Linz. In 1991 she became Second President of the Upper Austrian Diet and in 1995 member of the Upper Austrian State Government. From 1990 to 2005 she chaired the Upper Austrian Women's Organisation and from 1997-2009 the Federal Women's Organisation of the Austrian Social Democratic Party. Since 1995 Barbara Prammer has been deputy Federal Party Chairperson of the Austrian Social Democratic Party and was elected Vicepresident of the Socialist International Women in 2005. From 1997 to 2000 she was Federal Minister for Women's Affairs and Consumer Protection and is since October 1999 Member of the Austrian National Council. From 2000 to 2004 Barbara Prammer was Deputy Chairperson of the Social Democratic Party's parliamentary group and from May 2004 to January 2005 Member of the Austrian Constitutional Convent.

In June 2004 Mrs. Prammer became Deputy President of the Austrian National Council. Since October 2006, Barbara Prammer has been elected twice to the position of President of the Austrian National Council.