Men and women have equal rights. Since when has this sentence been in the Constitution?

On 14 June 1981, the people and the cantons accepted the equality article. It also requires equal pay for work of equal value.

Common mistakes

C: since 1996

The Gender Equality Act entered into force in 1996; the sentence had already been in the Constitution since 1981.

Women's suffrage and equal rights

In Switzerland, women were not allowed to vote and elect for a long time. Because only men were allowed to vote, the men had to decide on it. In 1959 they still said no. On 7 February 1971 they said yes, with 66 percent. Since then, Swiss women have had the right to vote and elect at federal level. Many other countries in Europe had it decades earlier.

History of Switzerland · Women's rights

Sources

• stadt-zuerich.ch
• zh.ch
• hls-dhs-dss.ch

Official question of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.