Women's Strike of 14 June 1991

Women's Strike of 14 June 1991
Women's strike in Zurich.
Date14 June 1991
Location
Switzerland
Caused byImprovement of women's rights in Switzerland
MethodsStrike and protests
Parties
Number
500,000

The Women's Strike of 1991 took place in Switzerland and involved over 500,000 women. Initiated by the Swiss Trade Union Federation (USS), this strike aimed to enforce the federal constitutional article on gender equality adopted ten years earlier on 1981. The day of 14 June 1991 is generally seen as the catalyst for the legislative implementation of the aforementioned article, which occurred in 1996.

Background

Ten years after the inclusion of gender equality in the Swiss Constitution, the general observation was that it was not being enforced, and wage equality had not been achieved.[1]

Watchmakers from the Vallée de Joux were at the origin of the strike.[1] The original idea is attributed to trade unionist Liliane Valceschini,[2] who discussed it with Christiane Brunner, then secretary of the Unia. Brunner succeeded in convincing the Swiss Trade Union Federation,[3] which, despite opposition from some men, approved the initiative on 1990 and opted for a strike rather than a day of action. A national strike committee was formed in 1990, followed by cantonal organizing groups.

The USS then organized the movement at the federal level[4] to mark the 10 years (320 Ms) anniversary of the inclusion of gender equality in the Federal Constitution following the popular vote on 1981, to demand its concrete implementation:

Men and women have equal rights. The law shall ensure equality, particularly in the areas of family, education, and work. Men and women are entitled to equal pay for work of equal value.

— Accepted in the popular vote of 14 June 1981.[5]

The union initiative was joined by the new Frauenbefreiungsbewegung, the Organisation pour la cause des femmes (Ofra), Frauen macht Politik! (Frap!), the Swiss Association for Women's Suffrage, the Swiss Workers' Socialist Party (Trotskyist), the Socialist Party (PS), the non-partisan committee for the realization of equal rights, and many women without political, union, or associative affiliations. Financial and material support was provided by trade unions.

At the cantonal level, organization was often decentralized and sometimes took the form of collectives, such as in the Canton of Geneva, where the “14 June collective” was formed in autumn 1990 and continued its actions after 1991.[6]

Some employers threatened retaliation and dismissal, arguing that the strike challenged the Swiss concept of industrial peace.[1]

Demands

The 14 June manifesto outlined nine demands for the strike:[7]

  • Implementation of the law of 1981
  • Equal pay
  • Protection against sexual harassment in the workplace
  • Creation of opportunities for training, professional development, retraining, and career advancement
  • Prohibition of night and Sunday work for both women and men
  • Creation of affordable daycare and childcare systems
  • Equal sharing of family responsibilities between women and men
  • Respect for women in society, particularly the right to be free from sexual abuse and violence

Consequences

The strike had significant repercussions in Switzerland. Nearly half a million women, or one in four, took to the streets to protest.[4][8]

Media coverage

The strike was covered by Swiss and international media, with the Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party in the USSR, dedicating an article to the event.[9] The Soviet newspaper’s article, which expressed surprise at Switzerland’s lag in women's rights, was in turn quoted by the Swiss press, citing the following:

Even in Switzerland, such a prosperous country, there is a reason to strike

— Komsomolskaya Pravda, cited by the Journal de Genève[10]

In French-speaking Switzerland, Valérie Hoffmeyer noted in the Journal de Genève in 1991 that in Geneva, beauticians and hairdressers were overlooked during the strike.[11] On 1991, the Gazette de Lausanne published a feature on gender inequality,[12] addressing the lack of daycare facilities, the strike by women journalists at the Federal Palace, and the Swiss Congress for Women's Interests of 1975 during the International Women's Year, as well as the Rapport de la Commission nationale suisse pour l'Unesco sur la situation de la femme dans la famille[13] · .[14] L'Hebdo also published a double opinion piece on the topic.[15]

Creation of the Federal Law on Gender Equality

In 1996, the constitutional article on equality was legislatively implemented, largely due to the strike of 1991: the Gender Equality Act (LEg).[16]

The day of 14 June has remained an emblematic day for the fight for women's rights in Switzerland, particularly around themes of equality.[17][18] Every year, actions are organized on 14 June[19][20][21] in favor of gender equality, especially regarding equal pay. On 2011,[8] another nationwide demonstration was organized to celebrate, among other things, the 20 years (630 Ms) anniversary of this event.[22][23][24][25]

Women's Strike of 14 June 2019

Front page of the Tribune de Genève.
Gathering at the Plaine de Plain-Palais for the Women's Strike of 14 June 2019.

In 2019, a reiteration of the strike took place across Switzerland, again bringing together over 500,000 women[26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c Brigitte Studer (12 June 2019). "Grève des femmes (1991)" [Women's Strike (1991)]. Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in French). Translated by Dominique Quadroni. 058286.
  2. ^ "L'idée de la grève ? Un coup de colère ! Liliane Valceschini est à l'origine de la grève des femmes qui a secoué le pays il y a 20 ans. Elle se confie" [The idea of the strike? A burst of anger! Liliane Valceschini, who sparked the women's strike that shook the country 20 years ago, shares her story]. evenement.ch (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Liliane Valceschini". vd.ch (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b "14 juin 2011 – Genève » Historique" [14 June 2011 – Geneva » History]. 14juin2011-ge.ch (in French). Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse du 29 mai 1874 (Etat le 20 avril 1999), p. 101" [Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation of 29 May 1874 (as of 20 April 1999), p. 101] (pdf). ejpd.admin.ch (in French).
  6. ^ Marina Decarro; Annette Zimmerman (6 November 2016). "Actions du Collectif du 14 juin pour l'égalité à l'école" [Actions of the 14 June Collective for Equality in Schools]. Nouvelles Questions Féministes (in French). 29: 138–142. ISSN 0248-4951. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  7. ^ Collectif 14 juin de Genève (1992). "les neuf raisons de faire grève le 14 juin, pages 6 et 7" [The nine reasons to strike on 14 June, pages 6 and 7]. Fuchsia, femmes en grève à Genève [Fuchsia, Women on Strike in Geneva] (in French). Genève: collectif quatorze juin. p. 112.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ a b Isabelle Eichenberger (14 June 2011). "Vingt ans après leur grève, les femmes dans la rue" [Twenty years after their strike, women take to the streets]. SWI swissinfo.ch (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  9. ^ Olivier Perrin (14 June 2019). "«Même en Suisse, il y a une raison de faire grève», disait la «Pravda» en 1991" [“Even in Switzerland, there is a reason to strike,” said Pravda in 1991]. Le Temps (in French). ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  10. ^ "La grève des femmes dans la presse soviétique" [The women's strike in the Soviet press]. Journal de Genève (in French): 12. 15–16 June 1991. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Journal de Genève - 14.06.1991 - Pages 24/25". letempsarchives.ch (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Gazette de Lausanne - 14.06.1991 - Pages 12/13". letempsarchives.ch (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  13. ^ "La commission fédérale pour les questions féminines" [The federal commission for women's issues]. Revue syndicale suisse : organe de l'Union syndicale suisse (in French). 1980.
  14. ^ "ETH - serveur pour des revues numérisées" [ETH - server for digitized journals]. e-periodica.ch (in French). doi:10.5169/seals-385992. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  15. ^ Marylou Rey; Jean-Claude Péclet (6 June 1991). "Grève du 14 juin" [Strike of 14 June]. L'Hebdo (in French).
  16. ^ Gaby Ochsenbein (14 June 2016). "Le 14 juin 1991: un jour qui est entré dans l'histoire" [14 June 1991: A day that made history]. SWI swissinfo.ch (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  17. ^ "14 JUIN 2008 - Pour cette date symbolique, les associations féminines invitent à un spectacle-rencontre" [14 JUNE 2008 - For this symbolic date, women's associations invite to a performance-meeting.]. LeCourrier (in French). 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  18. ^ auteures et autrices divers (15 June 2011). "ACTUELLEMENT (dossier du 14 juin)" [CURRENTLY (14 June dossier)]. LeCourrier (in French). Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  19. ^ Dominique Hartman (14 June 2016). "Vingt-cinq ans plus tard, elles luttent toujours" [Twenty-five years later, they are still fighting]. LeCourrier (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  20. ^ "Grève des femmes: à se recroiser les bras" [Women's strike: Time to roll up our sleeves again]. m.lecourrier.ch (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Les Podcasts de Radio Resistencia 14 juin 2011 - Communauté genevoise d'action syndicale" [Radio Resistencia Podcasts 14 June 2011 - Geneva Community for Union Action]. cgas.ch (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  22. ^ "14 juin 2011". 14juin2011.ch (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  23. ^ "D'égal à égale" [From Equal to Equal] (PDF). Canton of Jura Equality Office (in French). Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  24. ^ "Mobilisation pour les 20 ans de la grève des femmes" [Mobilization for the 20th anniversary of the women's strike]. rts.ch (in French). 15 June 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  25. ^ Anne-Marie Ley (14 June 2011). "Quatre humeurs sur la grève des femmes du 14 juin 1991" [Four perspectives on the women's strike of 14 June 1991]. Le Temps (in French). Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  26. ^ "Des centaines de milliers de femmes ont pris part à la grève nationale" [Hundreds of thousands of women took part in the national strike]. rts.ch (in French). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  27. ^ Catherine Frammery (13 June 2019). "La grève des femmes de Suisse expliquée au reste du monde" [Switzerland's women's strike explained to the rest of the world]. Le Temps (in French). ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  28. ^ Yannick Van der Schueren (14 June 2019). "La grève des femmes vue de l'étranger" [The women's strike seen from abroad]. VQH (in French). ISSN 1424-4039. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Les femmes s'emparent de Genève" [Women take over Geneva]. Le Courrier (in French). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  30. ^ "En finir avec les Cendrillon de l'État" [Ending the state's Cinderellas]. Le Courrier (in French). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  31. ^ "Femmes précaires le poing en l'air" [Precarious women with fists raised]. Le Courrier (in French). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  32. ^ "Une belle ambiance violette à l'Uni" [A great purple atmosphere at the university]. Le Courrier (in French). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.

Bibliography

The Éditions d'en bas group in June 1991.
  • Collectif (1991). Mieux qu'un rêve, une grève ! : la grève des femmes du 14 juin 1991 en Suisse [Better than a dream, a strike!: The women's strike of 14 June 1991 in Switzerland] (in French). Éditions d'en bas. p. 140. ISBN 9782829001338.
  • Brigitte Studer (12 June 2019). "Grève des femmes (1991)" [Women's Strike (1991)]. Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in French). Translated by Dominique Quadroni. 058286.
  • Emilie Gasc; Victoire Tuaillon (1 June 2019). "Les podcasts de La Grève des femmes, Suisse repetita" [Podcasts of the Women's Strike, Switzerland Repeated] (mp3). rts.ch/podcasts-originaux and www.binge.audio (in French).
  • "L'évolution du droit des femmes en Suisse de 1971 à 2020" [The evolution of women's rights in Switzerland from 1971 to 2020]. Le Temps (in French). 7 February 2021. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  • Clio Devantéry (2021). "Rejouer un même pourtant si différent du 14 juin 1991 au 14 juin 2019, la grève des femmes vue par 24 Heures" [Reenacting a similar yet so different event from 14 June 1991 to 14 June 2019, the women's strike as seen by 24 Heures]. Revue historique vaudoise (in French). 129: 135–145. ISSN 1013-6924.
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