Gender equality

Different aspects of life at a glance

Education

Do women and men have similar levels of education?
Educational levels have improved considerably over time, more so for women than for men. Among 25-34 year-olds, more women than men have now completed tertiary education.
Which vocational training and degree programmes do young women and men choose?
Young women are significantly underrepresented in vocational training and degree programmes in the technical sector and young men in education and training in the health and welfare sector.

Science & research

Are men and women roughly equally represented in science and research?
The proportion of female researchers has increased. Apart from when they are students, however, women continue to be underrepresented at all stages of a scientific career.

Employment

How is the employment of men and women structured?
Thirty years ago, men were much more likely to be in employment than women. The number of employed women has risen considerably since then and is now closer to that of men.
However, women are three times more likely than men to be in part-time employment.
Furthermore, women are still underrepresented in managerial positions.

Balancing work and family

How are paid employment and domestic tasks divided between couples with children?
Couples with children, who live according to a more egalitarian employment model, e.g. with both partners working full-time or both part-time, are in the minority.
For around a quarter of couples with children, domestic tasks are done by both partners.

Unpaid work

Who is doing the individual household tasks?
Shopping is the household task most frequently done by both partners.
Who is doing the individual family tasks?
The task of staying at home with a sick child is shared by both partners in only 19% of couples.

Wages

Do employed men and women earn the same?
In 2020, women earned an average of CHF 6817 per month, men CHF 8317. This represents a pay gap of 18%, almost half of which is unexplained.

Pensions

From the age of 65 onward, is there a difference in the pensions of men and women?
The average total annual pension of women is CHF 17 293 lower than that of men.
This corresponds to a pension gap of 33%, which in comparison with other European countries is a relatively high figure.

Poverty

Who is affected by poverty?
Women aged 65 and above are more likely to be affected by poverty than men in the same age group.

Health

Are there any gender-specific differences related to health?
There are biological and social differences in the state of health and the health behaviour of men and women.

Violence

Are men and women affected by violence to the same extent?
Persons suffering harm due to violent offences are more likely to be men.
The victims of severe violence and of domestic violence, however, are more likely to be women. A women or girl is killed every two weeks.

Politics

Is female representation in political institutions now equal to that of men?
Women continue to be underrepresented in legislative and executive authorities, at federal and cantonal level.

Digital world

Are both sexes taking part in the digital world?
Most women and men use the internet every day.
However, fewer women than men have advanced digital skills and they are also considerably underrepresented as information and communication technology specialists.

Attitudes

Changes in attitudes and in the structural framework lead to progress in gender equality.
The ideal does not always match reality. They are furthest apart in the “both work part-time” employment model.
Around 3 in 10 women and 4 in 10 men think that preschool-age children suffer if the mother works. These figures were higher five years earlier.