Against all odds: Switzerland’s first female federal judge

Fifty years ago, Margrith Bigler-Eggenberger became the first woman to serve as a judge on Switzerland's highest court. But her election by the Swiss parliament was overshadowed by serious intrigue that has still not been cleared up. For many years, Switzerland dragged its feet over questions of equality in the top echelons of politics and the judiciary. It was not until 1971 that women were given the right to vote at federal level and be elected to office. Twelve women entered the federal parliament that year. Three years later, on December 4, 1974, Margrith Bigler-Eggenberger (1933-2022) became the first woman to be elected to the Federal Court. In so doing, she realised her teenage dream that it was possible for women to have a career. Bigler-Eggenberger grew up in an educated and politically active family in canton St Gallen in northeastern Switzerland. Her mother led the Social Democratic Party’s women's group in the municipality of Uzwil. Her father was a local councillor ...