Gender equality continues to make progress in Swiss workforce
The proportion of women in Swiss company boardrooms and management ranks continues to rise, according to an annual survey of the largest employers in both private and public sectors.
The share of management positions held by women increased from 10% in 2019 to 13% last year, says the latest edition of the Schilling ReportExternal link from executive headhunter Guido Schilling. Five of the biggest firms were led by a female CEOs in 2020 and this number is set to reach eight this year. Nearly a quarter of seats on supervisory boards of the top 100 firms in Switzerland are held by a woman.
An international comparative study by recruitment consultants Russell Reynolds published earlier this week also came to the conclusion that women held 13% of executive posts at top Swiss firms. However, the comparable figure is higher in neighbouring France, Germany and Italy. Scandinavian firms also employ a greater proportion of women in management ranks, up to 29.6% among companies on the Norwegian OBX stock market index.
The Schilling Report takes an upbeat view that the situation is improving in Switzerland. “If this momentum continues, the legally stipulated gender-balanced representation threshold of 20% women on executive boards should be reached by the end of 2030,” it states, referring to legislation passed by parliament in 2019. “Efforts are clearly required by the 42% of companies that do not have any women at their top management.”
Diversifying
The study also finds that women executives in Swiss companies are diversifying from traditional roles in human resources or legal departments into other areas, such as managing company finances.
In the past few years Swiss lawmakers have made efforts to improve gender equality in the workplace. In addition to setting management and boardroom quotas, larger firms are now obliged to publish the distribution of salaries among men and women.
The 16th edition of the Schilling Report surveyed the 119 largest private employers in Switzerland and examined jobs in the federal administration and all 26 cantons. This covered 891 executive board members, 841 supervisory board members, and 1,031 managers in the public sector.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
What Trump’s return or a new Harris administration would mean for Switzerland
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
This content was published on
Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife, Eva Pavlova, arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday at the start of a two-day state visit.
Study shows proliferation of non-native plants is driver of insect invasions
This content was published on
A global study has revealed that insect invasions are being driven by the proliferation of non-native plants. This can can massively disrupt ecological processes, often leading to serious economic impacts.
Swiss set record for world’s longest hyperloop test
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have established a record for the longest-ever hyperloop journey at a facility in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Swiss army wants to purchase new German armoured howitzers to replace its existing artillery system which has been in operation for over 50 years.
Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland
This content was published on
Around a quarter of Swiss citizens would vote for Donald Trump if they had the chance, according to a recent poll. This percentage is higher than in many other European countries.
Swiss court rejects special assistance for student with disabilities
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Court has rejected an application for special assistance from a student with disabilities at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
Police arrest 15 drug dealers in Verbier in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Swiss and French police have arrested 15 suspected drug dealers operating in the mountain resort of Verbier in southern Switzerland.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Parliament approves quotas for women on company boards
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament has approved a proposal calling for better representation of women at the top echelons of large publicly-traded companies.
Gender inequality persists in Swiss businesses and society
This content was published on
The government has set new targets to improve gender equality and it has taken note of a UN report on the elimination of discrimination against women.
Big firms required to publish gender pay gap in 2021
This content was published on
Large companies in Switzerland will have to analyse wages of men and women starting in 2020 and make the audited results available to staff in 2021.
This content was published on
Female representation on top management boards in Switzerland rose slightly last year, though the figures still lag behind other European countries.
Two-thirds of gender discrimination cases thrown out by Federal Court
This content was published on
A review of 81 judgements has found that more than two-thirds of gender discrimination appeals were rejected by Switzerland’s highest court.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.