Swiss suffragettes were still fighting for the right to vote in 1971
October 3, 2015 3:36 AM Subscribe
It was not until 1971, 65 years after Finland became the first European country to grant women the vote, that Switzerland became the last, not only in Europe but in much of the world.
To this day, voting [in Appenzell Innerrhoden] takes places by a show of hands in the town square, with many men carrying swords instead of voting cards.
A Vice article on this tradition, with lots of pictures. It's a little surreal.
Another article on universal suffrage in Switzerland, with some pictures of anti-suffrage posters.
posted by jedicus at 8:05 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
A Vice article on this tradition, with lots of pictures. It's a little surreal.
Another article on universal suffrage in Switzerland, with some pictures of anti-suffrage posters.
posted by jedicus at 8:05 AM on October 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Key point, for those who don't want to read the whole thing:
posted by languagehat at 9:20 AM on October 3, 2015 [7 favorites]
Perhaps the biggest difference was the Second World War. While France, Germany and Britain had run their wars on the backs of a female workforce – making it difficult to then ignore demands when they came to be made – Switzerland's neutrality meant that women hadn't strayed far from the kitchen and domestic life in general. When Iris Von Roten wrote her 1958 treatise, "Frauen im Laufgitter" ("Women in the Playpen") which urged women to throw off the shackles of domesticity, the backlash was so fierce she fled the country.An interesting tidbit from elsewhere and elsewhen: Russian women got the vote in 1917, under the Provisional Government the Bolsheviks soon overthrew. Long live the February Revolution (which was sparked by a women's protest march on Women's Day)!
posted by languagehat at 9:20 AM on October 3, 2015 [7 favorites]
This is always a fun fact to bring up when a Swiss lectures you on direct democracy.
posted by smidgen at 11:32 AM on October 3, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by smidgen at 11:32 AM on October 3, 2015 [7 favorites]
South Carolina excluded women from a state university until 1995. And we are going to lecture the Swiss about...anything?
posted by Public Corruption? at 1:27 PM on October 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Public Corruption? at 1:27 PM on October 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
Some of us get to carry passports from any one of 200 other nations ;p Whee!
posted by infini at 1:36 PM on October 3, 2015
posted by infini at 1:36 PM on October 3, 2015
This is always a fun fact to bring up when a Swiss lectures you on direct democracy.
Sorry, which country was it again which has yet to have a female head of state?
As the article briefly mentions but doesn't follow up on, despite the delay in universal suffrage and attendant consequences, Switzerland ranks higher (11th) on the Global Gender Gap Index than either the UK (26th) or the US (20th). Having taken a quick perusal of the index itself it looks as though the main difference is representation in government, but as a layperson I don't know how everything they're charting translates in real-world everyday terms.
Anecdotally, as an American woman who's lived about 50-50 between more liberal parts of the US and one of the most left-leaning cantons of Switzerland, Swiss society does skew (somewhat) more conservative. However, I've never feared that the rights I do have are up for grabs -- that was the pervasive background radiation of my adult life in the US that I didn't even realize was there until after I left and it went away. (I'm sure my experience would be different if I didn't pass for white, but I could just as easily say that if I'd stayed, frankly.)
To be honest, I'm always uncomfortable when Switzerland comes up on the blue because no matter where it starts or who starts it the conversation shifts to Americans going "hurf durf look at the conservatives" in... well, three to four comments, usually. Don't get me wrong, there are many things about Swiss culture that I am less than thrilled with, but the political situation here is as complex as it is anywhere else. "Left-leaning canton" is not an oxymoron; there's as much political disparity between Vaud and Appenzell as there are between blue and red states. Considering the number of flat-out barbarities perpetuated by the United States on both its own citizens and the rest of the world, the kneejerk finger-pointing comes across as both hypocritical and embarrassingly parochial.
(Meanwhile, Finland ranks number 2 on the Global Gender Gap Index, so infini and cohort -- not to mention anyone from Iceland, any part of Scandinavia, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Ireland, the Philippines or Belgium -- feel free to snark away.)
With that off my chest, both the article in infini's OP and the ones provided by jedicus were fascinating and filled in a lot of details on the basic history I was already aware of. Thanks for sharing!
posted by bettafish at 4:24 PM on October 3, 2015 [15 favorites]
Sorry, which country was it again which has yet to have a female head of state?
As the article briefly mentions but doesn't follow up on, despite the delay in universal suffrage and attendant consequences, Switzerland ranks higher (11th) on the Global Gender Gap Index than either the UK (26th) or the US (20th). Having taken a quick perusal of the index itself it looks as though the main difference is representation in government, but as a layperson I don't know how everything they're charting translates in real-world everyday terms.
Anecdotally, as an American woman who's lived about 50-50 between more liberal parts of the US and one of the most left-leaning cantons of Switzerland, Swiss society does skew (somewhat) more conservative. However, I've never feared that the rights I do have are up for grabs -- that was the pervasive background radiation of my adult life in the US that I didn't even realize was there until after I left and it went away. (I'm sure my experience would be different if I didn't pass for white, but I could just as easily say that if I'd stayed, frankly.)
To be honest, I'm always uncomfortable when Switzerland comes up on the blue because no matter where it starts or who starts it the conversation shifts to Americans going "hurf durf look at the conservatives" in... well, three to four comments, usually. Don't get me wrong, there are many things about Swiss culture that I am less than thrilled with, but the political situation here is as complex as it is anywhere else. "Left-leaning canton" is not an oxymoron; there's as much political disparity between Vaud and Appenzell as there are between blue and red states. Considering the number of flat-out barbarities perpetuated by the United States on both its own citizens and the rest of the world, the kneejerk finger-pointing comes across as both hypocritical and embarrassingly parochial.
(Meanwhile, Finland ranks number 2 on the Global Gender Gap Index, so infini and cohort -- not to mention anyone from Iceland, any part of Scandinavia, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Ireland, the Philippines or Belgium -- feel free to snark away.)
With that off my chest, both the article in infini's OP and the ones provided by jedicus were fascinating and filled in a lot of details on the basic history I was already aware of. Thanks for sharing!
posted by bettafish at 4:24 PM on October 3, 2015 [15 favorites]
Lousy Swiss, always lecturing people about direct democracy.
posted by RobotHero at 6:02 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by RobotHero at 6:02 PM on October 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
I knew none of this. Fantastic post, and followups.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 9:07 PM on October 3, 2015
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 9:07 PM on October 3, 2015
Why the suffragettes still matter: 'they dared to act as the equals of men'. They endured violence and cruelty to further the cause of votes and equality for women. Ahead of the release of the movie Suffragette, we asked writers to reflect on the meanings and modern relevance of the militants’ direct action.
posted by homunculus at 12:11 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 12:11 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by homunculus at 11:35 PM on October 7, 2015
posted by homunculus at 11:35 PM on October 7, 2015
The day Iceland's women went on strike: Forty years ago, the women of Iceland went on strike - they refused to work, cook and look after children for a day. It was a moment that changed the way women were seen in the country and helped put Iceland at the forefront of the fight for equality.
posted by homunculus at 11:41 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 11:41 AM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
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