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.

In some cantons it took even longer. The last canton was Appenzell Innerrhoden. There, in 1990, the Federal Supreme Court had to enforce women's suffrage. On 14 June 1981, the people added a new article to the Federal Constitution: men and women have equal rights. The article also demands equal pay for work of equal value.

In 1984 Parliament elected the first woman to the Federal Council: Elisabeth Kopp (FDP) from the canton of Zurich. She resigned in 1989. Later more women Federal Councillors followed, for example Ruth Dreifuss (1993), Ruth Metzler (1999) and Micheline Calmy-Rey (2002). In 1999 Ruth Dreifuss was the first woman President of the Confederation. Today women in the Federal Council and in Parliament are a matter of course.

Memory aid: 71, 81, 84: right to vote, equal rights, first woman Federal Councillor.