Responding to two proposals from parliament, it argued “the binary gender model is still strongly anchored in Swiss society”, in a statement published on Wednesday.
“The social preconditions for the introduction of a third gender or for a general waiver of the gender entry in the civil registry currently are not there,” it added.
Such options would require too many changes to the country’s constitution and to laws both at national and cantonal levels, according to the government.
A national ethics commission found in a 2020 report that the time wasn’t yet right for a change to the system.
Unlike neighbouring Germany and Austria, people in Switzerland are entered into the civil registry as male or female, with no other option.
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Gender-neutral language: an issue for the ballot box?
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As more public and private media try to communicate gender neutrally, some say it’s a distraction from real issues. How can you legislate on language?
Direct trains to run from Zurich to Florence and Livorno
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The Swiss Federal Railways and Trenitalia will offer direct trains from Zurich to Florence and Livorno and vice versa from 2026.
Number of Swiss armed forces exceeds specified limit
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The Swiss armed forces had an effective headcount of around 147,000 as of March 1, 2024. This exceeds the upper limit of 140,000 specified in the army organisation by 5%.
More than 400,000 cross-border commuters now work in Switzerland
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More than half of all cross-border commuters were resident in France (around 57%). Large proportions also lived in Italy (23%) and Germany (around 16%).
Amherd and von der Leyen discuss ongoing Swiss-EU negotiations
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Swiss President Viola Amherd and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have met and talked about the ongoing negotiations between Bern and Brussels.
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One million francs, 34 million euros and around 830 kilos of gold: this is the fortune that two Swiss nationals are accused of having moved across borders for at least four years.
Girls in female-dominated classes earn more later on
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At the age of 30, women from school classes with a 55% share of girls earn $350 more per year than women from classes with a 45% share of girls.
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Geneva-based luxury goods group Richemont reported a downturn in performance for the first half of its 2024/25 financial year. Both sales and profit declined.
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Hundreds of Swiss change gender using simplified process
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Several hundred people in Switzerland have changed their gender since the introduction of a simplified process on January 1.
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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.