Thousands of Swiss women protest, demand equal treatment to males

GENEVA - Across Switzerland on Friday thousands of women took to streets in protests demanding equal treatment and conditions compared with their male counterparts.

The protests organized by trade unions and civic organizations came almost three decades after a 1991 strike when women demanded that a constitutional article on equality of the sexes be written into legislation.

The national broadcaster RTS reported that it could not yet determine if the day's action would gather the tally of 500,000 counted in the 1991 protests.

It said, however, that in the capital Bern, 30,000 people took to the streets as well as in the city of Lausanne on Lake Geneva, while in Geneva itself between 12,000 and 15,000 were reported on the streets.

Swissinfo, the website of the national broadcaster quoted an estimate by the Swiss Trade Union Federation early evening Friday putting the number at "hundreds of thousands" of people taking part before larger evening events had taken place.

In 1991 there were no women in the Swiss government, and there was no statutory maternity leave, whereas since there have been eight female government ministers and the right to maternity leave is part of the law.

The organizers said in their manifesto, "We want to promote Gender Equity and women's rights.

"We want a society based on equality and solidarity, without discrimination, without sexism and violence against women, regardless of the color of our skin, our culture, our origin or religion, our passport, our sexual and gender identity, our age or social status."

Several government members have also been active, including interior minister Alain Berset, who released a silent video to highlight the problems faced by women in Switzerland, Swissinfo, the website of the national broadcaster reported.

Transport Minister Simonetta Sommaruga was at a baccalaureate secondary school in Lausanne to talk to the students about equality, and she said young women were much more prepared to speak up than in her day.

Swissinfo said that the protests were called a "strike", but many women have been concerned about neglecting their workplaces in a country where such strike action is rare.

Organizers said that unequal treatment persists - including lower pay with women on average earning 20 percent less than men, while they face professional and daily condescension, and societal glass ceilings.