Parliamentarians call for action on sexual harassment
Yannick Buttet has been suspended from his party
Keystone
The news that a prominent parliamentarian has been suspended from his party over stalking allegations has given rise to a discussion about sexual harassment in the Swiss parliament.
It comes two months after the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which saw the powerful Hollywood producer accused of sexual harassment and assault. He has denied the allegations. The case has prompted others to speak out over sexual harassment in the entertainment industry and beyond.
On Thursday, the centre-right Christian Democratic Party announced that it had suspendedExternal link its deputy president Yannick Buttet after Le Temps newspaper reportedExternal link that a complaint had been made against him to police for stalking. He is alleged to have rung the doorbell of an ex-lover in the southwestern Swiss city of Sion so many times during a night in November that she called the police. There have also been allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards other women, the article said, citing anonymous sources.
The police complaint has not been confirmed or denied by the local justice authorities, but Buttet confirmed the incident to the newspaper, saying that his marriage had been in crisis and affected his judgement and behaviour. He said that he now realised that sometimes in the evening and under the influence of alcohol, especially during this period of doubt, there had been “inappropriate gestures” that had upset or affected certain people.
The Christian Democrats said Buttet had informed them of the complaint on Wednesday, and had asked to be suspended. On whether a resignation was in sight, party president Gerhard Pfister said this would be discussed with Buttet, his cantonal party and the main party management.
Buttet’s cantonal party, the Valais Christian Democrats, said they were “deeply shocked” by the case.
The fall-out
There have already been calls for Buttet to resign from several parliamentarians, including from his own party. Ruth Humbel said she saw no alternative should he be convicted. “This would be incompatible with the traditional values that we stand for,” she was quoted by the Swiss news agency as saying.
In Friday’s media, several female parliamentarians called for the creation of a place within parliament where support could be sought confidentially. Céline Amaudruz, from the conservative right Swiss People’s Party, said that she had been harassed on several occasions in parliament. She gave no further details during an interview with French-language Swiss public television RTSExternal link, but did say she would not get into a lift with certain people.
The presidents of the House of Representatives and the SenateExternal link said they would be looking into whether measures against sexual harassment in parliament were necessary. They condemned any form of sexual harassment and said that parliamentarians were responsible for their own behaviour, according to the Swiss news agency.
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Swiss ‘outcry’ reflects global study
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An online campaign revealed that many women in Swiss parliament deal with everyday sexism. A study shows it's an issue around the world.
In Switzerland, an online campaign caused a firestorm on social media – and a swelling list of female politicians registering their reproach – after Andrea Giessbühler, a female parliamentarian from the conservative right Swiss People’s Party, said in an interview that certain punishments for rape should be lowered when naive victims are partially at fault.But the experiences of Swiss female parliamentarians, who were also reacting to the controversy over US presidential nominee Donald Trump’s comments about women, appear to be just the proverbial tip of the iceberg when placed in a global context.
A study released on Wednesday by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) showed more than 65% of women parliamentarians worldwide surveyed by the IPU reported being the victims of “humiliating sexist remarks” during their time in office. A quarter had been victims of physical violence because of their position in government, and 21% had experienced sexual violence. Another 32% had seen sexual violence committed against female colleagues.
Over the past few weeks, after Basel-based gender researcher Franziska Schutzbach and some of her colleagues began using the hashtag #SchweizerAufschrei, or “Swiss outcry”, on social media sites, people across Switzerland began offering everyday examples of sexism levelled against women.
Parliamentarian Min Li Marti of the left-wing Social Democrats chimed in with her own experience, saying she had been told by male colleagues that “this topic is just too complicated, maybe your husband can explain it to you”. (Marti’s husband, Balthasar Glättli, also serves in parliament).
Marti’s fellow Social Democrat Mattea Meyer tweeted about “parliamentary ‘colleagues’ who snicker and ask when there will be naked photos of you”.
Many other female parliamentarians from Switzerland told the Blick tabloid of their experiences with sexual harassment on the job.
Claudine Esseiva of the centre-right Radicals said she has been directly propositioned by male members of both the House and Senate. Social Democrat Yvonne Feri reported similar advances made by journalists who asked her whether she wanted to sleep with them.
And the speaker of the House of Representatives, Christa Markwalder of the Radicals, says she’s been the victim of “sexist statements at the lowest level”.
Threats and recommended action
According to the IPU study, the situation abroad appears to also involve threats of physical violence against women parliamentarians. Nearly 45% of those surveyed said they had been threatened with death, rape, beatings or abduction.
One politician from Asia reported receiving threats about kidnapping her son, while another from sub-Saharan Africa said she is constantly asked whether she is a lesbian and “accused of being aggressive and a bad mother”. Nearly 40% of respondents said the harassment affects their ability to carry out their parliamentary mandates, with some reporting having to adjust their schedules and physical movements to avoid potential violence and intimidation.
About 60% of the survey respondents believe the sexist acts are due to clear-cut positions they had taken on specific issues, and 61% think the acts are meant to dissuade them and their female colleagues from continuing in politics, according to the IPU. Only about 40% of respondents reported having been targeted because of a political rivalry.
To counter and address harassment against female politicians, the IPU recommends that governments strengthen laws and parliamentary codes of conduct and that the media undergo sensitivity training with regard to reporting on women politicians. The study concluded that having more women in parliament “helps to change the political culture” and that “once the phenomenon is visible and recognized, solutions either exist or can be found”.
The IPU, an international organisation representing parliaments around the world, interviewed 55 female politicians from 39 countries for its first study on sexism in parliament. It also gathered data from 42 global parliaments about structures in place to prevent sexual harassment and violence.
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Around half of the 2,420 employees that were polled across the country for one survey used for the study said they experienced at least one occurrence of unwanted and potentially harassing behaviour. Women are more likely to feel they have been harassed, which is considered a benchmark for sexual harassment under Swiss gender equality legislation.…
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