Swiss senate votes to make gender discrimination punishable by law
The texts were submitted by women lawmakers from all parties except the right-wing Swiss People's Party.
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Listening: Swiss senate votes to make gender discrimination punishable by law
Incitement to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of gender should be punishable in Switzerland. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 21-18 in favour of six similar parliamentary initiatives to supplement the penal code.
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La discrimination genrée devrait être punissable en Suisse
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The texts were submitted by women lawmakers from all parties except the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. They note that hatred and violence against women are unfortunately widespread. Social Democratic senator Mathilde Crevoisier Crelier also highlighted the upsurge in acts of hatred against women, and called for a clear signal to be sent out against such violence.
Adding an additional ground to the criminal anti-discrimination law is not a solution. Current legislation is sufficient. It needs to be better enforced, argued Beat Rieder, of the Centre Party, for the committee. He was opposed to extending the standard, and feared it would overload the judicial system.
Crevoisier Crelier replied: “Isn’t it an admission of impotence or carelessness to give up punishing acts on the sole grounds that the justice system can’t absorb them?”
“Violence begins with words”, added Maya Graf of the Green Party.
Translated from French with DeepL/gw
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