‘Without women’s suffrage, Switzerland is not a democracy’.

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Women protesting the lack of suffrage with a giant snail representing the delay in granting them the vote (1928). Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv

May Day procession: Marching with banners proclaiming "Women's suffrage: We keep fighting!" Zurich, 1948. Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv

Parade of postal workers in Zurich, May 1, 1956: the banner denounces Switzerland and Portugal as being the European laggards on women’s suffrage. Ernst Köehli / Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv

Torche-led parade calling for the right to vote, Zurich, 1963. Heinz Baumann / Eth-Bibliothek Zürich

Assembly gathering of the Swiss association for women's voting rights, 1963. RDB

Women campaigning for women's suffrage at the 1964 Expo. RDB

“The right to vote is a human right”: banner on a rooftop in Zurich, 1966. Keystone

Japanese tourists take in the "No" slogan on a poster for the referendum on women's suffrage in Zurich in 1966. Keystone

A statue of symbolic Swiss figure Helvetia in Basel, holding a sign reading “I’m not allowed to vote!”, 1966. Keystone

In 1968, a woman not yet entitled to vote waits outside a polling station in the city of Zurich for her husband to cast his ballot on women's suffrage. Keystone

At a 1969 demonstration, banners include “opponents of women’s right to vote don’t belong in parliament”. Schweizerisches Sozialarchiv

Swiss women calling for voting rights in 1969 RDB

Marching in Bern for female suffrage, 1969. RDB

A march to the capital Bern to whistle in front of the parliament in 1969. Keystone / Joe Widmer

“Human rights” demanded at the march in Bern, 1969. Photopress Archiv

Promoting universal suffrage on the Limmatplatz in Zurich, 1969. RDB

The Swiss parliament in 1969: “as along as women can’t vote, Switzerland is not a democracy”. Keystone

Women voting for the first time at the city level in Zurich, 1969. They will have to wait to do the same at cantonal and national level. RDB

A polling station in western Switzerland, where women were only allowed to vote on municipal matters (1970). Keystone

Shortly before the federal vote on the introduction of women's suffrage in 1971, an opponent of the bill distributes leaflets to passers-by in Zurich. Keystone

Pro-women's suffrage posters before the decisive vote in 1971. RDB

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Switzerland gave women the vote in 1971 – one of the last countries in Europe to do so.