The decision is also aimed at boosting equal representation of members of Switzerland’s four linguistic communities: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
The target for gender representation has been raised from 30% to a minimum of 40% to be reached by the end of 2023, according to a government statement on Wednesday.
The announcement coincides with the approval of a United Nations report on the elimination of discrimination against women.
The report welcomes the progress being made by Switzerland, notably a planned equality strategy due to be published next year as well as several legal amendments.
They include the requirement to conduct an equal-pay analysis, improvements in the protection of victims of violence, greater flexibility in balancing work and care duties for family members, and, in revised company legislation, the introduction of guidelines on the gender composition of boards of directors and management boards.
However, the report continues to criticise persistent wage differences between the sexes, the underrepresentation of women in managerial positions and domestic violence.
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Demographics
Slight improvement for Switzerland in equality ranking
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Switzerland has jumped two spots, from 20th to 18th, in the World Economic Forum’s annual Gender Gap Report.
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The new "Swiss Football Home" football campus is being built in Thun. The centre, based on an international model, will include pitches for the senior national teams and the headquarters of the Swiss Football Association.
Report identifies gaps in Swiss anti-racism and anti-Semitism measures
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Among other things, there are gaps in criminal and civil law protection against racism on the internet, a report published on Tuesday suggests.
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AI tools like ChatGPT continue to gain ground in Switzerland: for the first time, a majority of the Swiss population is using them.
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Almost two-thirds of the Swiss population would like more freedom to choose their retirement age, according to a survey by Deloitte Switzerland.
Swiss carbon offset foundation to cut 10% of staff
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Myclimate will cut around 10% of its jobs by the end of the year. At the end of 2024, almost 200 employees were working for the foundation.
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Women still struggle to break top ranks in Swiss firms
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Women represent half of employees in non-management levels in Switzerland, but promotion rates between men and women remain unequal.
Will a more feminine parliament advance the Swiss gender agenda?
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Last year a record number of women were elected to parliament in Switzerland. Will they help bring more equality in other spheres?
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The International Day of Women and Girls in Science has been highlighting how hard it is to forge a successful career, also in Switzerland.
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