International Women’s Day: do women have equal rights in Switzerland?

Protesters at a women’s strike in Switzerland on June 14, 2023 called for equal pay and zero tolerance for sexualised violence. KEYSTONE/Alessandro della Valle

A majority of Swiss men believe equality has been achieved in Switzerland, according to a Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) survey. The poll results also suggest that the four Swiss language regions have very different ideas about gender issues.

International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8. On this special occasion we take a look at gender roles and equality in Switzerland. We also invite you to discuss the topic on our debate platform “dialogue”.

First, let’s look at how Swiss residents and the Swiss Abroad answered questions on gender roles in the national survey “How are you, Switzerland?”. This opinion poll was carried out among over 57,000 Swiss respondents between April and May 2023 by the gfs.bern research institute on behalf of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), SWI swissinfo.ch’s parent company.

>> You can find the replies of the Swiss Abroad in the following article:

Some 54.3% of men (completely or mostly) agree with the statement that “men and women are treated equally in Switzerland”. But only one in four women (24.8%) shares this opinion.

Just over half of all respondents believe that every organisation should have as many women as men in leadership positions. Women are more in favour (64.5% compared to 36.8% for men).

Looking closer at the results for each language region, equal representation in leadership positions has more support in French- (68%) and Italian-speaking (65%) cantons than in German-speaking Switzerland (45%).

A majority of respondents – both women and men – disagreed with the statement “Swiss society would be better if more women stayed at home with their children”. Only 21.3% of women and 28.4% of men said they either “mostly” or “completely agreed”.

What is your opinion? SBC’s “dialogue” editorial team has put together a small selection of articles and other content from its units (SRF, RTS, RSI, SWI swissinfo.ch and RTR) on the issue of sex and gender equality in Switzerland. Find out more about this issue and share your opinions on the online debate platform.

>>Join the discussion in all national languages and English:

Breaking through the glass ceiling: the rise of women in Swiss science

Despite significant efforts to improve the situation, female scientists are still underrepresented in leadership roles in Swiss universities. Specific grants and mentoring programmes are attempting to correct this gap, but challenges remain.

>> Read our analysis on the glass ceiling and obstacles that women face following a career in science.

Pink and blue: gender marketing

When you search for a present for a young child, it’s something that hard not to see it – the obvious colours of toys and other products on sale that reflect gender stereotypes. From small toy shops in Bern to multinationals like Disney, so-called gender marketing is a lucrative and controversial strategy that raises many questions about its impact on gender identities and consumer choices.

>> Watch the following analysis of gender marketing by Swiss public radio, SRF:

Overcoming sexism in medicine: an ongoing battle

Medicine has historically been shaped by and for men; medical knowledge was built on the model of a white middle-aged man weighing 70 kilograms. For years, medicine for women was confined to the reproductive system and referred to as “bikini medicine” in German-speaking countries, as it only focused on the areas under women’s bikinis. The rest of the body was regarded as the same as the male body, just smaller. 

>> Watch this Swiss public television, RTS, report on the history of medical research that sheds light on gender discrimination in medicine and shows how all genders would benefit from better knowledge and treatment.

Canton Ticino’s first female senior police officer

Last summer, Bernadette Rüegsegger was appointed as the first female senior officer of the cantonal police in Ticino. “If I had been a man, it would be just another job, another appointment. As a woman, the reaction in the media was already very different, much more important,” Rüegsegger told Swiss public television, RSI.

>> Watch the RSI interview with Bernadette Rüegsegger External link.

Positive vs toxic masculinity

School teachers in the UK have been increasingly confronted with misogyny in classrooms, which has spread online via figures such as the controversial social influencer Andrew Tate. In response, British schools have been equipping themselves with educational programmes to promote positive masculinity. Former teacher Mike Nicholson leads one such a workshop, which aims at reshaping young people’s perception of masculinity.

>> Swiss public television, RTS, talked to Mike Nicholson about his workshop and how he tries to reach young people influenced by online content.  

What is “dialogue”?