Women are better represented in the public sector than in private companies.
Keystone / Martin Ruetschi
Female representation in top management positions in Switzerland rose slightly last year, though the figures still lag behind other European countries.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/dos
Português
pt
Ligeiro aumento de mulheres nos conselhos de administração suíços
According to an annual report released ThursdayExternal link by the Schilling human resource consultancy firm, the proportion of women in senior management roles in the top 117 employers in Switzerland rose from 7% to 9% in 2018.
After a setback the previous year, when a 1% decline was recorded, this brings women’s representation in senior leadership at companies to the highest level it has ever been, Schilling said.
This means more than twice as many women sit at the highest level than in 2006, although progress is slow: at current rates, by 2022 just 12% of company senior executive roles will be filled by women.
Women are also less likely to remain in top positions for a significant period, the report says. On average, they step back or move on after 3.6 years, while for men the time period is 6.7 years.
One reason for this, Schilling suggested, is that women are more likely to take leadership roles of ‘service’ departments in corporations – for example, communications, legal, or compliance departments; roles that are not systematically represented in top management.
More
More
Swiss women have come a long way, but still face discrimination
This content was published on
Switzerland has been swept up in the grassroots ‘#MeToo’ movement and the growing dissatisfaction among women with the status quo.
The public sector, on the other hand, was much better balanced when it came to female representation. Some 38% of vacant top positions were filled by women, compared with 18% in the private sector.
This is primarily due to the better work-life balance offered by public roles, said Schilling, who urged private companies to follow suit in adapting their polices and practices.
Internationally, despite the improvement, Switzerland still lags behind front-runners for gender equality in Europe such as Sweden or Finland, where women represent around 35% of board of director positions.
The report analyses the 117 largest employers in Switzerland as well as the federal government and all 26 cantons.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Wealth is not all: how gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
Unions seek to blacklist Swiss firms that underpay women
This content was published on
Union umbrella group Travail Suisse is calling for the introduction of a blacklist to shame Swiss companies that fail to pay women and men equally.
This content was published on
Companies with over 100 employees will have to do regular pay equity checks thanks to a new law passed in the Swiss parliament.
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.