National Conference on Gender Equality 2030: new measures to strengthen women's economic independence
Bern, 27.06.2023 - Alain Berset, President of the Swiss Confederation, opened the National Con-ference on Gender Equality 2030 in Bern today. More than 350 members of gov-ernment at all federal levels, political and administrative officials and experts will discuss the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy that the Feder-al Council adopted two years ago. One particular focus will be women's eco-nomic autonomy.
Women in Switzerland earn 18% less than men on average - a difference of CHF 1,500 per month - with just under 8% of this gap remaining unexplained. The gender pay gap means that women receive significantly lower retirement pensions. Throughout their lives, they are limited in their economic independence and are at higher risk of being affected by poverty.
Moving towards a 0% pay gap
In his opening speech, Mr Berset cited the objective of the Gender Equality Strategy: "The goal is to eliminate the pay gap between women and men in Switzerland by 2030." Action is required at several levels to achieve this, and in particular the unexplained share of the pay gap must be eliminated. This requires the commitment of the public and private sectors alike.
The Confederation has created Logib, a web tool, to help all employers make progress on pay equality. Logib Modules 1 and 2 enable both large and small companies to conduct objective analyses easily and free-of-charge, in order to identify and address gender-based inequalities. Starting in 2024, Logib Module 1 will indicate new target value of 2.5% which should encourage employers to continuously and rapidly reduce unexplained pay inequalities. Logib is widely used throughout Switzerland and is internationally recognised.
New function to create gender-neutral pay systems
The web tool has recently been enhanced with a new function, enabling employers to carry out an assessment of job functions and draw up a gender-neutral pay system. The aim is to further facilitate compliance with the constitutional requirement of equal pay for work of equal value. Employers can now access free-of-charge pilot versions of the Logib pay system in German and French.
Strong commitment at all levels: Confederation, cantons, communes and state-associated companies
At the conference, cantonal councillors Astrid Bärtschi (BE), Florence Nater (NE) and Isabelle Moret (VD) will explain the equal pay measures that are implemented in their cantons. Mayor Alec von Graffenried (Bern), Mayor Alfonso Gomez (Geneva) and Co-Mayor Carmen Tanner (Yverdon-les-Bains) will present their measures taken at municipal level to promote gender equality and women's economic independence. Roberto Cirillo, Group CEO of Swiss Post, and Swisscom CEO Christoph Aeschlimann will summarise how they approach gender equality in their organisations.
Continual development of the Gender Equality Strategy
The 2030 Gender Equality Strategy was approved by the Federal Council in 2021 and is the first national strategy with the specific aim of promoting gender equality in Switzerland. The strategy's action plan is being continually expanded and updated, and now includes more than 200 measures.
Measures from all four of the Strategy's fields of action will be presented and discussed at the National Conference on Gender Equality 2030: promotion of equality in professional life, promotion of reconciliation of work and family life, prevention of gender-based violence and fighting discrimination. The conference is also intended as a launching pad for new measures that can be put into practice.
The conference is organised by the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE), which is responsible for coordinating the 2030 Gender Equality Strategy.
Address for enquiries
Federal Office for Gender Equality
Schwarztorstrasse 51
3003 Bern
Publisher
Federal Office for Gender Equality
https://www.ebg.admin.ch/en
General Secretariat FDHA
http://www.edi.admin.ch
