The decision is also aimed at boosting equal representation of members of Switzerland’s four linguistic communities: German, French, Italian and Romansh.
The target for gender representation has been raised from 30% to a minimum of 40% to be reached by the end of 2023, according to a government statement on Wednesday.
The announcement coincides with the approval of a United Nations report on the elimination of discrimination against women.
The report welcomes the progress being made by Switzerland, notably a planned equality strategy due to be published next year as well as several legal amendments.
They include the requirement to conduct an equal-pay analysis, improvements in the protection of victims of violence, greater flexibility in balancing work and care duties for family members, and, in revised company legislation, the introduction of guidelines on the gender composition of boards of directors and management boards.
However, the report continues to criticise persistent wage differences between the sexes, the underrepresentation of women in managerial positions and domestic violence.
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Slight improvement for Switzerland in equality ranking
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Switzerland has jumped two spots, from 20th to 18th, in the World Economic Forum’s annual Gender Gap Report.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
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Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
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The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
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Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
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Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
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The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
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Women still struggle to break top ranks in Swiss firms
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Women represent half of employees in non-management levels in Switzerland, but promotion rates between men and women remain unequal.
Will a more feminine parliament advance the Swiss gender agenda?
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Last year a record number of women were elected to parliament in Switzerland. Will they help bring more equality in other spheres?
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The International Day of Women and Girls in Science has been highlighting how hard it is to forge a successful career, also in Switzerland.
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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.