Conscription and voting rights

Men were entitled to vote regardless of whether or not they did military service. By 1874, only around 40 per cent of men fit for service had been called up. The absence of women in the military was frequently used as an argument against women’s suffrage. FHD ambulance driver, 1939–1945.

Swiss National Museum

Protests

Women’s rights activists expressed their disappointment at the result of the referendum by staging protests throughout Switzerland. Women teachers at the Basel High School for Girls went on strike for one day – an act for which they were severely reprimanded by the majority of members of the Basel parliament.

Bettina Eichin (b. 1942), Plaque commemorating the women teachers’ strike, 1999. Gymnasium Leonhard, Basel-Stadt Education Department, Basel

Symbol of the struggle

Ruth Dreifuss and Christiane Brunner wore sun brooches that became symbols of their fight for equality. Women had been in the shadows for long enough, explained Ruth Dreifuss – and they were now stepping into the light. Sun brooches, 1993, sheet metal.

Swiss National Museum

A view of the exhibition.

Swiss National Museum

Unconventional dresses

Women helped shape the protest movements of the 1960s. They were free to show off their legs and rejected the sexualization of the miniskirt. In the prevailing hippy culture, short and long skirts made of soft fabrics became increasingly colourful.

(on the left) Dress designed by Sybil Zelker, England, 1967, raw silk. (on the right) Deux-Pièce, Oscar Rom, Zurich, around 1967, perforated fabric with hole pattern. Swiss National Museum

A view of the exhibition.

Swiss National Museum

Winged

The winged creatures of writer and artist Erica Pedretti are symbols of liberation. They were created at a time when the women’s movement was experimenting with new means of emancipation. These wings also call to mind the Icarus motif: flying high always incurs the risk of tumbling to earth.

Erica Pedretti (b. 1930), Flügel (Wing), 1980, bamboo, wire, fabric, latex paint. Museum of Fine Arts, Chur. Erica Pedretti (b. 1930), Flügel mit Kopf (Wing with Head), 1979, bamboo, banner, latex paint. Kunstsammlung der Stadt Biel

A view of the exhibition.

Swiss National Museum

A view of the exhibition

Ever is Over All, 1997, audio video installation by Pipilotti Rist.

Pipilotti Rist. Courtesy the artist, Hauser & Wirth and Luhring Augustine