Swiss government taken over – By Women

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You have to give Switzerland its due. It took its time giving women the vote – Swiss women achieved suffrage less than 40 years ago, the last major country in Europe to allow them to vote in national elections – but it is now up there with Norway, Finland and Spain in having a majority female Cabinet. No matter that Switzerland is a byword for small government, with a ministerial team of only seven, the election of Simonetta Sommaruga tipped the balance. Four to three, the women rule. Less than a year after Switzerland voted to ban new minarets on mosques, Ms Sommaruga, a popular Social Democrat, used her acceptance speech to plead for tolerance.

Mrs Sommaruga, 50, a financial adviser and consumer protection expert, defeated her nearest rival, Jean-François Rime, of the rightwing and xenophobic Swiss People’s Party (SPP), in the contest for the post after securing a lead of 78 votes in parliament. Her election made Switzerland the fifth country in the world to have a female-majority government after Norway, Spain, Finland and the Cape Verde Islands. Women also hold about a third of the seats in the Swiss parliament.

Women have traditionally been afforded a secondary role in Swiss public life. They were not permitted to vote at regional or “canton” [divisional] level until 1959, with the last canton of Appenzell Inner Rhodes finally granting women full voting rights in 1990. Women were given the vote in national elections in 1971. Although the first female government minister was elected in 1984, until yesterday only six women had held cabinet posts. SWISS POLITICAL SYSTEM

Woman Suffrage Handbill 1912 FSDM2

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Holte Ender

Holte Ender will always try to see your point of view, but sometimes it is hard to stick his head that far up his @$$.
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janiecakes
13 years ago

What a great story. Looks like we have come a long way. Thanks HE.

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