Swiss equality law struggles to gain traction

Switzerland’s Gender Equality Act (GEA) came into force 20 years ago, but today women still receive salaries that are significantly less than those of their male colleagues, and both victims and judges remain reluctant to seek recourse to the law.  Except in certain circumstances, an employer in Switzerland does not have the right to ask a female candidate for a position if she “would like to have children”. But some do, and in such a case a woman has the right to lie. If she can subsequently prove that she was not hired because of her desire to become pregnant, she can seek recourse via the GEA. Unfortunately, a woman in such a situation rarely seeks justice from the courts.   “Sexual discrimination in job interviews happens practically every day in Switzerland,” says doctor of law and University of Neuchâtel professor, Jean-Philippe Dunan.  However, Dunan has only identified around 50 discrimination proceedings that have taken place since the GEA ...