Switzerland

Compared to other countries, the Swiss political system is characterized by the following elements: highly developed federalism that allows the management of a society traversed by divisions in religion, language and ethnicity; an equally widespread direct democracy that strongly integrates the various actors while dividing power among them; an electoral system organized as a function of the very important proportionality rule; a four-party government represented by a college of seven equal members; and a parliament composed of two chambers in which the National Council represents the people and the Council of States represents the regions (called cantons in Switzerland). In addition to these institutional elements, it is the way in which the political system functions in Switzerland that constitutes its distinctive mark, namely the concordance based on compromise and the division of power. Quite paradoxically, in this very old democratic system that pretends to be attentive to political representation and the division of power, the participation of women in the making of decisions has a very young history. Formally, it goes back only to 1971 with the introduction of women’s suffrage and their eligibility in federal elections. One of the last western countries, and indeed one of the last countries in the world to grant this elementary political right to half of its population, Switzerland had been the figurehead of conservatism, even of misogyny at the international level. It must, however, be recognized that a process of ‘catch-up’ has recently taken place. Soon after the introduction of women’s suffrage, an entire series of changes made Switzerland into a country that conformed to the international standard in terms of equality between men and women. This catch-up was surprising not only because of its extent, but also, and perhaps especially, for its speed. Indeed, the transformations affected not only the division of political power but also many other domains, particularly the revision of laws, especially equality and family codes, the creation of government agencies responsible for gender equality and the introduction of a minimum 30 per cent quota for women in extraparliamentary commissions of the Confederation. Moreover, the speed of the achievements was exceptional for a political system known for its sluggish decision-making, especially where controversial issues are concerned. While limited to the representation of women in the Swiss legislative assemblies, this chapter will analyze the catch-up process and will advance a number of

explanations. The first section outlines the pattern of women’s political representation since the 1970s, followed by consideration of a number of possible explanations including institutional variables intrinsic in the Swiss political system. In conclusion, the issue of female political participation will be highlighted within the context of more recent developments in contemporary Switzerland.