Switzerland Today
Greetings from Lausanne!
Here are the latest news and stories from Switzerland on Tuesday.
In the news: children and face masks, red kites, apprenticeships v grammar schools, and abuse in sport.
- Children can recognise adult emotions even behind face masks, according to a study by researchers at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV).
- Following the Swiss gymnastics abuse scandal that blew up last year, the sports ministry wants tougher action to deal with ethics violations and to better protect young athletes in the future.
- A new in-depth studyExternal link by the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training shows that Swiss apprenticeships offer equally good future job prospects as the grammar school education system.
- The population of red kites (photo above) in Switzerland has grown strongly in recent decades and now accounts for about 10% of the world’s population, according to research by the Swiss Ornithological Institute.
Call to tap potential of professional working women in Switzerland.
Women make up half of the highly skilled workforce in Switzerland, but work fewer hours, according to a studyExternal link published on Tuesday. One in three would like to work more, under certain conditions.
In 2019, 29% of Swiss women aged 25-64 had a university degree or professional qualification; the figure stood at 30% for men. But only 40% of hours of work were completed by women.
Switzerland stands out in international comparisons owing to the high proportion of part-time workers. While 63% of all employed women aged 25 to 54 work part-time in Switzerland, the figure is only 28% in the European Union. Among men of the same age, 16% of employed Swiss men work part-time, compared with 7% in the EU.
The surveyExternal link for the Swiss Union of Liberal Professions (USPL) asked 6,000 men and women with university degrees, such as doctors, architects, lawyers and engineers, about the reasons for choosing part-time work. While women cited family reasons, men cited more time for leisure activities.
For example, six out of ten women lawyers in Switzerland work part-time, and 84% do so for family reasons, Swiss Bar Association president Birgit Sambeth Glasner told public broadcaster RTS. “In comparison, less than 2% of men work part-time.”
One in three highly qualified women would like to work more hours under certain conditions, the survey found. But after starting a family they lack the necessary support from their partner who does not cut his working hours; from the Swiss state that does not provide adequate childcare facilities; and from their employer. The USPL is calling for measures to help redress the situation, including better, affordable childcare facilities and more flexible working hours.
Hopp Schwiiz! The Nati qualify for 2022 football World Cup in Qatar.
The country is still on a high after Switzerland thrashed Bulgaria 4-0 to seal a place at next year’s World Cup in Qatar as Group C winners ahead of Italy.
The absence of a number of first-choice names was quickly forgotten as young players stepped up and embraced the occasion. Striker Noah Okafor scored his first international goal. Ruben Vargas, Cedric Itten and Remo Freuler were also on target. Switzerland ended on 18 points from eight matches, two points ahead of European champions Italy who face a nervous World Cup play-off after failing to qualifyExternal link automatically for Qatar 2022.
The joy of the players on the pitch was reflected in the Swiss pressExternal link. “What a masterpiece,” wrote the Tages-Anzeiger. “Murat Yakin […] can now add further chapters to Petkovic’s fairy tale […], a memorable football year ends with goose bumps.”
Switzerland’s multicultural squad now turns its attention to Qatar, which will host 32 teams from around the world from November 21-December 18 next year. The choice of Qatar by FIFA, world football’s Zurich-based governing body, has been mired in controversy since the decision was announced in 2010.
Even formerFIFA president Sepp Blatter, recently indicted for fraud and other offences, admitted in 2014 that opting for Qatar was a mistake because of the heat. However, he denied rumours that the rich Gulf state had bought the tournament.
When will the Covid-19 vaccine booster be available for all?
A Covid-19 vaccine booster jab should be available soon for people under 65, federal health officials said today. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Vaccination Commission are planning to adapt the vaccination recommendation.
“The official recommendation is being drafted and will follow in a few weeks,” said Christoph Berger, the head of the Federal Vaccination Commission. At the moment, the booster is recommended for the over 65s and vulnerable people.
With boosters on the horizon, the NZZExternal link reports that the cantons are stepping up preparations to provide greater numbers of jabs in the coming months. Much of the infrastructure used this year has been dismantled and vaccination centres were closed. As soon as the third booster vaccination is approved for the under 65s, there should be big queues again, the paper says.
Tobias Bär, spokesperson for the Conference of Cantonal Health Director, told BlickExternal link that the cantons could handle the massive demand for boosters.
“Unlike the start of the vaccination campaign a year ago, there will be less pressure this time around,” he declared.
In summer the number of Covid jabs peakedat over 90,000 a day; in recent weeks fewer than 20,000 jabs a day have been administered. Around 65% of the population has been double-jabbed.
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