February 7, 1971 - Women of Switzerland

The women of Switzerland got the vote well behind women of most Western nations. In a referendum in 1959, male voters soundly defeated the idea of sharing the vote. However, the next decade spelled dramatic change on that front, and Swiss men finally relented. On February 7, 1971, in a two-to-one majority, Switzerland’s male voters granted women the right to vote in federal elections and to stand for office. While all political parties and most churches and businesses supported the move, women voiced concerns that those who’d voted against them would continue to try and limit women’s roles to “kinder, kirche und kuche” (children, church and kitchen). Today, Swiss women still face major hurdles in politics and government, but a growing number are being elected to public office, and the barriers continue to drop.

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