Hundreds of Swiss change gender using simplified process
Since January 1, anyone who wants to change their official gender no longer has to go to court in Switzerland
Keystone / Robert Ghement
Several hundred people in Switzerland have changed their official gender since the introduction of a simplified registry process at the beginning of the year. In the big cities alone, 350 people have done so.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Español
es
Cientos de suizos cambian de sexo mediante un proceso simplificado
Eighty people changed their gender in Zurich, 47 in Basel, 46 in Bern, 36 in Geneva and 19 in Lucerne, according to a survey by the NZZ am Sonntag. Those involved were aged between 12 and 75, with nine people younger than 16. The proportion of those who switched from female to male was slightly higher than from male to female.
Since January 1, anyone who wants to change their official gender no longer has to go to court in Switzerland. Transgender and intersex people can now change their first name and gender in the civil registry without bureaucratic complications. There are no longer any medical examinations or other prerequisites.
More
More
New year, new laws, new life in Switzerland
This content was published on
How will the new laws entering into force on January 1 affect you?
Civil registries gave a positive preliminary assessment of the new law. “The goal was to keep the hurdles as low as possible, and now they are,” Roland Peterhans, president of the Swiss Civil Registry Association, said in an interviewExternal link with the NZZ am Sonntag. “If there had been people wanting to change their gender and then change back again after three weeks, we would have had to go over the books. But we didn’t have these cases.”
He was also not aware of any systematic abuses. “We haven’t seen any men change gender in order to retire earlier or to avoid military service,” he said. Women can currently retire at 64 in Switzerland, men at 65; military service is compulsory for men, optional for women.
Peterhans said he had personally dealt with around 30 cases and had met people who had been registered under the wrong gender for many years and were now happy to be able to take this step.
“It’s incredible progress for them that they no longer have to expose themselves in court,” he said.
More
More
New book captures 46 portraits of transgender struggles
This content was published on
On International Transgender Day of Remembrance, the book TRANS* is a reminder that transgender people are still victims of discrimination.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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.