Swiss feminist movements have their roots in local women's groups , where women began to meet during the nineteenth century. The latter are initially incurred for support issues such education and work. The beginnings of organized women's movement emerge at the end of the century. The first pioneering women associations were committed to greater recognition of women's civil rights during the development phase of the new Swiss Civil Code, in which the political rights of women have been the subject of many discussions. In particular, they claimed opportunities codecision at policy level.

At the end of the First World War, several countries have introduced women's suffrage , for example Germany in 1918 and Austria in 1919. The governement in other country did that because It was a patriotic gratitude for the involvement of women and the involvement of some women's associations who mitigate and alleviate the suffering of war.

Switzerland, on the contrary,who never fought neither the first nor the second world war didnt have such a state of mind. The first voting for the granting of voting rights and eligibility for federal level, 1 February 1959 , met with a clear rejection by 66.9 % non(no) .

This has caused many gloomy reactions with women, but protests more radical nature have not been attempted. This deduction has been fundamentally challenged only in the late 60s, with the women's liberation movement ( MLF ) . Feminist lawyers amounted in 1968 against the plan of the Federal Council to ratify the European Convention on Human Rights subject of women's suffrage .

Protests resulting from this proposal has forced the government to submit a new draft introduction of women's suffrage .

Opponents of the project have not failed to use the full arsenal of feminine stereotypes during the campaign preceding the vote of 7 February 1971, but in the end, the Swiss men gave their female compatriots their full rights at the federal level with 65.7 % in favor .

Sources:

(In french)

Chronique multimédia de la Suisse contemporaine(Website)

(In english)

Lee Ann Banaszak, Why Movements Succeed or Fail: Opportunity, Culture & the Struggle for Woman Suffrage (1996)

Marc H. Lerner, "The Helvetic Republic: An Ambivalent Reception of French Revolutionary Liberty," French History (2004)