Women’s rights
“The Constitution was written only by men, for men”
Tamara Funnieiquelo, president of socialist women, wants a feminist revision of the Constitution. Counterproductive in full conservative push?
Tamara Funieiquelo (PS/BE) is the head of socialist women.
Nicole Philipp/Tamedia AG
Equality between men and women is already inscribed in the Constitution. Is a feminist revision necessary?
Equality exists in theory. But in fact, we are still far from it. The remuneration gap is still 43% between men and women. Women are the main victims of domestic violence. And the right to body and sexual self -determination is always more attacked. To name only a few examples. A feminist revision of the Constitution is necessary. Especially since the Constitution was written only by men, and could be said for men. It is time to take into account the themes concerning the other half of the population.
Concretely, what do you want?
Financial autonomy for all. Protection against patriarchal violence. And the right to body and sexual self -determination.
What does financial autonomy mean? Give everyone a job?
Everyone already has a job. He is just not always remunerated. Care work, mainly done by women, is the perfect example. Company could not work without. Who would take care of children and the elderly? The problem is that this unpaid work jeopardizes the financial and the security of women. Without money, they cannot leave a violent husband because they have nothing to rent an apartment. Money is the basis of our system, and therefore of our freedom and our security. Without, you are completely dependent.
So you want to pay the work of unpaid care?
It is a possible answer. We could also reduce the weekly working time paid, so increase wages. For me, it would even be one of the most interesting possibilities at the time of the digital revolution.
Tamara Funnieiquelo (PS/BE) has also been a national advisor since 2019.
Nicole Philipp
Let’s move on to the right to abortion. He is not threatened. Two initiatives wanting to restrict it failed. What would that change it to inscribe it in the Constitution?
Abortion is not a right in Switzerland. It is only punishable. If it had been a right, it would be written in the Constitution. However, it is only mentioned in the penal code. If the right to abortion is not in danger, why not inscribe it in the Constitution? Better to prevent than cure. Especially when you see the speed to which the situation can change. Just look in the United States, where the Supreme Court returned to the ROE vs. Wade. Abortion is no longer guaranteed at the federal level. In Poland, it is only authorized if the pregnancy results from rape or the mother’s health is threatened.
Switzerland is not the United States or Poland. Women can abort without problem …
Some doctors, perhaps rather in German-speaking Switzerland, have used the conscience clause (Editor’s note: which allows a doctor to refuse an abortion for personal or professional convictions). We must not minimize the rise in conservative ideology with us too. The first people who suffer from it are women, LGBT people, migrants and other minorities. The rights of these persons must be guaranteed by the Constitution.
Last part: domestic and sexual violence. Aren’t they already prohibited and punishable?
We are already more than 20 women this year. Do you know how much money we put in prevention against violence against women? 1.5 million. And in the treatment of army horses? 2.7 million. These are the priorities of our country. The life of women is the lowest priorities, after the horses of the army. It’s amazing! Changing the Constitution will not solve all the problems. But a law must be created and money unlocked. Today, everyone turns hot potatoes on domestic violence. If we register that in the Constitution, there will be a clear duty to protect the lives of women, and people in general, against patriarchal violence. Our constitution contains everything and anything, such as the ban on burqa. Why does it not contain the fundamental rights of women?
The invoice promises to be salty. Who will pay?
Violence against women costs 350 million francs each year. It is more than the budget of the city of Yverdon-les-Bains (VD). And this figure comes from a conservative study dating from 2013, so it does not even take into account inflation. Violence is one of the most expensive things for a society. We always ask how much the safety of women costs. But repeated scandals in the army make us lose hundreds of millions of francs. Now I do not remember that a single Swiss has died in a war since the training of modern Switzerland. On the other hand, 20 women were killed this year. Doing nothing costs lives, investing to protect them seems to me the minimum.
Your proposal is supported only by socialists. Honestly, she has no chance of passing. Why drop it off?
For the debate to reveal who is really ready to act. Everyone is always against violence against women. But as soon as you have to show concrete support, there is no one left. The right must publicly assume to refuse women financial, sexual and bodily autonomy. She will have to assume to refuse to spend money to protect them.
Feminism is going through a period of conservative push. Your proposal may appear as a provocation …
If the life of women is a provocation for the right, I cause.
Isn’t that counterproductive for the cause of women?
The right, here and elsewhere, wants to control the lives and the body of women. It is not a fantasy. We see him with Trump, Putin and Meloni. We go to the forefront of a lack of labor. But composing with immigration is not an option for them. The right therefore wants to force women to have more children, preventing them from having an abortion and being financially independent. You have to do everything to avoid this.
“Latest news”
Do you want to stay at the top of the info? “24 hours” offers you two meetings a day, not to miss anything of what is happening in your canton, in Switzerland or in the world.
Other newsletters
Did you find an error? Please report it to us.
