SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal description
«While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment under the Millennium Development Goals (including equal access to primary education between girls and boys), women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.»
Swiss target 5.5: The comprehensive and effective participation of women is guaranteed at all decision-making levels of economic, political and public life.
Significance of the indicator
This indicator shows the proportion of women in the National Council and in cantonal parliaments. It illustrates one way in which women can participate in political life. A gender balance in political bodies encourages the integration of different gender perspectives in political decisions, which in turn contributes to the achievement of gender equality. An increase in female participation in parliaments is therefore a step towards sustainable development.
International comparability
The comparisons between the proportions of women in the national parliaments are made by the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. However, the portion of women in cantonal parliaments cannot be compared at international level.
Synthesis
Comments: Synthesis of trends observed in the National Council (NC) and cantonal parliaments (CP).
The assessment of each variable is expressed by a value without dimension (-1 for a negative assessment, 0 for an unchanged assessment, +1 for a positive assessment). These values are then added up and the result sets the general trend of the indicator.
Tables
Methodology
This indicator shows the share of women in the National Council and in cantonal parliaments. The data relating to the share of women in the National Council and in cantonal parliaments are taken from the voting and election statistics compiled by the Federal Statistical Office.
For National Council elections, the figures show the situation on polling day. For cantonal parliament elections, the most recent results preceding the National Council elections are taken into account for each canton (exception: 2011 – situation at 13 November (the elections in Fribourg took place shortly after the National Council elections)). The share of women in cantonal parliaments consists of the number of seats occupied by women in all cantonal parliaments and the total number of seats available in all cantons. For 1971, no data are shown as only a small number of cantons had already introduced the right for women to vote and stand for election.
Parliaments at communal level are not considered as not all communes have one and the statistics only consider statistical towns or, pre-2015, only communes with over 10 000 inhabitants.
Links
Targets
Swiss target 5.5: The comprehensive and effective participation of women is guaranteed at all decision-making levels of economic, political and public life.
International target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
Contact
Federal Statistical Office Section Environment, Sustainable Development, TerritoryEspace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
- Tel.
- +41 58 460 58 46
Monday - Friday:
09.00 - 12.00 / 14.00 - 16.00