This Day in History: when Swiss women got the vote

SWI swissinfo.ch looks back at the long battle for universal suffrage in Switzerland. Women only gained the right to vote in federal elections after a referendum on February 7, 1971.

This content was published on February 7, 2024 - 15:35

1 minute

Julie worked as a radio reporter for BBC and independent radio all over the UK before joining swissinfo.ch's predecessor, Swiss Radio International, as a producer. After attending film school, Julie worked as an independent filmmaker before coming to swissinfo.ch in 2001. 

Italiano

Quel giorno nella storia: quando le donne svizzere hanno ottenuto il diritto di voto

Vaud became the first canton to let women vote on cantonal decisions in 1959. Most cantons followed suit in 1972, apart from Appenzell Inner Rhodes, which was forced by the Federal Court to give women their full voting rights in 1990.

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The long road to women’s suffrage in Switzerland

Swiss women had to wait until 1971 until they got the right to vote. Why did it take so long?

Read more: The long road to women’s suffrage in Switzerland

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