Thousands of women took part in a national strike in major towns and cities across Switzerland on Wednesday demanding equal pay. Swiss women currently earn around 20% less than men. Government data has shown the gender gap has worsened since 2000.
Swiss cities were filled with the chants of protesters on Wednesday as tens of thousands of people took to the street to join the annual protests against gender discrimination and inequality.
The demonstrations commemorated the one-year anniversary of the women’s strike known as Frauenstreik, organized by unions to draw attention to Switzerland’s poor gender equality track record. The strike prompted the Swiss government to require companies with more than 100 employees to conduct analyses of pay gaps between men and women.
While Switzerland ranks second on the United Nations’ gender equality index — which measures gender disparities around the world — Swiss women currently earn around 20% less than men. Government data has shown the gender gap has worsened since 2000.
Gender equality in Switzerland
Up until 1985, women in Switzerland could not work or open up a bank account without their husband’s consent. Women in the country still face workplace discrimination, struggle to maintain job security, have limited opportunities to move up, and are not protected against harassment and abuse at work, rights activists say, according to CNN.
Switzerland also offers the shortest paid maternity leave in Europe, according to a 2019 UNICEF report, Carey pointed out.
Safety is another concern for Swiss women. One in 5 women is a victim of sexual violence in Switzerland, according to a survey by the organization Amnesty International.
“Sexual violence and underreporting of abuse remains common, and Swiss law does not define rape on the basis of lack of consent,” Carey said.
“Systematic measures are also needed at national level to combat gender-based, sexual and domestic violence,” said Green parliamentarian Sibel Arslan, one of the leading figures of the women’s movement.