10 reasons why my home country Switzerland needs Feminism

Many people consider Switzerland as being the country that needs no more feminism. The following 10 points show that Switzerland needs to improve and for that we need feminism. I’m sure there would be a 1000 reasons, I just picked 10. Maybe you know more or you have a personal story, so please leave them in the comments.

  1. Women’s rights are human rights! Do you think all human beings are equal? Do you think women are human beings? Congratulations, you are a feminist! Switzerland needs feminism because women’s rights are human rights. Find the test here:
    http://areyouafeminist.com
  2. Women in Switzerland still earn less than men. On average, women in Switzerland earn 20% less than men who are equally skilled and equally experienced in the same job. This needs no more explanation. Just more feminism to fight against this injustice!
  3. Women are more often victims of violence and especially domestic violence. In 2016 17’685 cases of domestic violence were registered in Switzerland. In 2015 31 people died because of domestic violence and 61% were women. That is not a lot compared to other countries, but victims are always worth to help and save.
  4. More than 15 000 victims of FGM live in Switzerland. We need to help them and protect the next generation.

    FGM

    Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
  5. In some parts of Switzerland, women just got their voting right back in 1990. In 1971, Swiss voters agreed on the national voting right for all Swiss adult women. It was a historic moment! Many women fought their whole lives to get their voting right, some had to wait till 1990, because they lived in conservative and catholic parts of Switzerland.
  6. For the birth of their child, new fathers just get one day off work. This is just not enough! Sometimes even giving birth takes more than one day. And the new mothers are left alone with their baby without any support or help from their partners. This law means that traditional roles are reinforced and maintained.  That isn’t what feminists long for!
  7. Homosexuals are still being discriminated against in Switzerland. They are not allowed to marry nor to adopt children; an injustice that needs the call of feminists for zero discrimination.
  8. We need to talk about sex. One out of ten women never had an orgasm so far ;therefore, it is time to talk about women’s desires and their bodies. Women need to speak about what they want in their sex life instead of being ashamed. We can encourage them to do so as well as teach them about Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
  9. We need to advocate for body positivity. 3,5 % of all Swiss suffer from an eating disorder once in their lives. Women are affected three times more than men!
  10. Finally, only in 2017 Switzerland signed the Istanbul Convention. We are really late and there’s still a lot to work on!
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10 reasons why my home country Switzerland needs Feminism

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