Working group of the Swiss women's associations for the political rights of women

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The Working Group of the Swiss Women's Associations for the Political Rights of Women was the top organizational body for women in the two national votes on Swiss women's right to vote and suffrage in 1959 and 1971. The “working group” represented around half a million of the three million Swiss women and most of the organized women.

The «working group» and the national vote of 1959

The "Working Group of Swiss Women's Associations for the Political Rights of Women" was a separation from the "Swiss Action Committee for Women's Suffrage" founded in 1946 and was founded in 1957. The main task at that time was the coordination of the efforts supported by many women's associations to introduce women's suffrage in connection with the national referendum of 1959. The president was the Bernese mountain farmer's daughter , lawyer and social democrat Marie Boehlen . Organized women had provoked the vote of 1959 by refusing to take on mandatory national defense duties without (women's) voting rights. After the defeat in the vote in 1959, the “working group” was on hold.

The "working group" and the national vote of 1971

Ten years later, the organized Swiss women again refused to submit to the male state will. They rebelled against the fact that the European Convention on Human Rights , which demanded equal rights for men and women, would also be signed by Switzerland, since this would only have been possible with a reservation, with the reservation that women would not have the right to vote. They demanded: first women’s right to vote and suffrage, then the signing of the ECHR, without reservation. In doing so, they defied the second, and this time successful, national women's vote and suffrage of 1971. On the basis of changed economic and social conditions and with regard to European and female circumstances, Swiss men accepted women's political rights. The “working group” was headed around 1971 by the Bernese farmer's daughter, estate manager and specialist Marthe Gosteli , later a member of the farmers, trade and citizens' party (BGB, today Swiss People's Party SVP).

Before 1971, the "Working Group" was responsible for the tough negotiations with the National Councils and Councils of States, which had to be prevented from accepting the ECHR with reservations and forwarding it to the Federal Council for signature. It was up to her to talk to the Federal Council and finally to set the voting date with him. It was her job to determine the tactics, recruit finances and coordinate preparatory steps for the ballot box.

Results of the referendum of February 7, 1971 on the introduction of women's suffrage.

Internal opposition arose from those women who hoped for a reinterpretation of the Swiss constitution . These interpretationists wanted the constitutional article “All Swiss are equal before the law” to be reinterpreted by the Federal Supreme Court and decreed that the term “Swiss” included the “Swiss women”. However, as practically all experts and constitutional lawyers assured, this path was not feasible. The lawyer Marie Boehlen , in particular , had always warned against giving in to the hope of a reinterpretation and pointing out the only possible way for Switzerland to hold a referendum . In fact, full adult voting and suffrage was given in 1971 at the ballot box and not in the Court of Justice.

organization

The «working group» saw itself as an organizing action committee for upcoming votes. It acted on behalf of large Swiss women's umbrella organizations such as the Federation of Swiss Women's Associations (BSF), the Swiss Catholic Women's Association SKF, the Evangelical Women's Association EFS, the Swiss Association for Women's Suffrage, SVF, which in turn brought together hundreds of different women's associations. The AG also directly belonged to cantonal associations and professional organizations, non-profit and rural women, women's representatives of parties and religions from German, French and Italian-speaking Switzerland. Procedures were determined in each meeting of delegates. If necessary, the action committee acted independently within the framework of the specifications.

After the victory in the vote and the introduction of Swiss women's voting rights and suffrage, the “Working Group” was dissolved in 1971.

Literature and archival material