Swiss Voters Reject Mandatory National Service for Women
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss voters on Sunday decisively rejected a call to force women to perform national service in the army, civil protection teams or other forms, as all men must already do.
Official results. the count being still ongoing in some regions after a referendum, showed that more than half of the Swiss cantons or Länder had largely rejected the “citizenship service initiative”. This means it was rejected, as the proposals require a majority of voters and cantons to pass.
Voters also strongly rejected a separate proposal to impose a new national tax on individual gifts or inheritances of more than 50 million francs ($62 million), with the proceeds to be used to combat the impact of climate change and help Switzerland achieve its ambitions of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Supporters of the national service plan hoped it would strengthen social cohesion by creating jobs in areas such as environmental prevention, food safety and elderly care.
But lawmakers opposed it, mainly on cost grounds and fears it would hurt the economy by taking many young people out of the job market.
The national service proposal comes at a time when other European countries are looking for ways to strengthen their armed forces amid growing concerns about the potential threat from Russia beyond the war in Ukraine.
In neutral Switzerland, young men are already required to perform military service or join civil protection teams. Conscientious objectors can perform other types of services, and those who opt out completely must pay an exemption fee. Each year, approximately 35,000 men participate in compulsory service.
The failed initiative would have required all Swiss citizens to perform national service – women can currently do so on a voluntary basis – and would have applied the concept of national security to areas beyond military service or civil protection.
Its supporters spoke of “landslides in the mountains, floods in the plains, cyberattacks, risks of energy shortages or war in Europe” and said their project would involve everyone taking responsibility for a “stronger Switzerland, capable of resisting crises”.
The government responded that the army and civil protection have enough personnel and that more people should not be recruited than necessary.
Although compulsory military service for women can be seen as “a step toward gender equality,” he adds, the idea “would impose an additional burden on many women, who already shoulder much of the unpaid work of raising and caring for children and relatives, as well as household chores.”
The government also opposed the proposal for a new tax on large gifts or inheritances, arguing that its approval could encourage some of Switzerland’s richest – around 2,500 people – to relocate elsewhere. Sums exceeding 50 million francs ($62 million) could have been subject to a rate of 50%.
Switzerland holds national referendums four times a year, giving voters a direct say in policymaking.
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