National holiday Former Federal Councillor Sommaruga commemorates the Istanbul Convention

On August 1, former Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga commemorated Switzerland's accession to the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention against violence against women ten years ago. This is now a "10-year milestone in terms of equality", Sommaruga wrote on X.

The convention is an agreement on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. It came into force on August 1, 2014. Switzerland joined in 2018.

"The idea of a Switzerland in which women and girls can live without fear and without violence is entirely appropriate for a national holiday," continued the former Federal Councillor. The Istanbul Convention states that violence against women can only be ended if women and men are legally and actually equal.

The fight against violence against women is therefore inseparable from gender equality. In order to put an end to violence against women, the whole of society is called upon, Sommaruga continued.

Although Switzerland has enshrined gender equality in its constitution, there is still a lot to be done in terms of concrete implementation. The fact that women in Switzerland are still paid less clearly shows how much action is needed.

However, as President of the Equal Salary Foundation, she also sees positive examples, wrote the former Federal Councillor: for example, entrepreneurs who voluntarily have their company audited for equal pay. The fact that Switzerland has adapted its sexual offences legislation in response to the convention is also a positive example.