1971 Swiss women's suffrage referendum

In Switzerland, women's suffrage was demanded in Zurich in 1868, when women also wanted to have a vote in the revision of the cantonal constitution. Its aim was for a complete women's suffrage and not only a restricted one in religious or educational matters. After several cantonal referendums on women's suffrage in the 1940s, the outcome was negative, in 1951, the Federal Council reasoned the time was not right for a national referendum on women's suffrage. Following this, surveys regarding women in relation to women's suffrage were undertaken in Basel-Stadt, Geneva and Zurich, in which a vast majority of the women supported women's suffrage. Eventually a national referendum was held in 1959 which resulted in the men voting against women's suffrage. The Federation of Swiss women against women's suffrage was established by the Committee of Swiss women against women's suffrage. == 1971 referendum ==

In 1968, the United Nations declared the International Year of Human Rights. In March 1969, thousands of women were led by Emilie Lieberherr to the Square in front of the Federal Palace, where they demanded women's suffrage. The Federal Council envisaged a new referendum on women's suffrage; the Federal Councillor Ludwig von Moos even saw women's suffrage as a "democratic requirement". Yes campaign For the yes campaign the Association for Women's Suffrage was a major campaigner. The company formed a committee in support of the referendum within the company, printed bags publicising the yes campaign and published articles supportive of it in its company-owned magazine, which with a circulation of over 600,000 was one of the largest in Switzerland at the time. Also Coop, another major retailer of Switzerland supported the yes campaign, but less prominently. Referendum The referendum took place on 7 February 1971, and the result was that a majority of 65.7% approved women's suffrage. The approval was expected as several cantons had approved women's suffrage in the years before. By canton == Aftermath ==

The day after the referendum, a major tabloid of Switzerland, Blick, sported the headline 'Thanks for the Roses' on the front page accompanied with a naked blonde receiving roses from a man. Following the referendum, several cantons introduced women's suffrage, but not all. Appenzell Ausserrhoden introduced the cantonal women's suffrage in April 1989, but Appenzell Innerrhoden again rejected it and only introduced it in November 1990, following a ruling from the Federal Court. == References ==