So next weekend, Sunday 8 March, is International Women's Day (IWD). According to the official IWD website it's slim pickings for celebrations in Zurich, actually for all of Switzerland. Zurich is in fact the epicentre of Swiss IWD activity by comparison. And those events that are listed are organised by the expat community. (fair disclosure: I know because I'm organising the 'Miss Representation' film screening).

http://www.internationalwomensday.co...h#.VO4bGfnF-So

So what's up with that? Why is IWD a non-event for the Swiss? Just a quick peek at little ol' Ireland (my home country) by comparison and there are pages and pages of listed events. Why is Switzerland apparently so backward in coming forward, so to speak, when it comes to celebrating women's achievements and seeking gender equality???

When is International Men's Day, again?

(Or Fathers' Day, in Switzerland, come to that.)

19 November. You doing something to celebrate it?

I'm going to start a thread on EF asking why IMD is a non-event for the Swiss, and a petition on the basis of gender equality to establish Fathers' Day in Switzerland.

I reckon it's because March 8 is too soon for another holiday. Everybody's still recovering from Fasnacht.

Only if you actually celebrate Fasnacht in the first place. Fasnacht doesn't exist around here.

Do you call a day for complaining about men a celebration?

Maybe some people respect women every day.

Because Switzerland is so neutral that it doesn't bother with anything that is even a tiny bit politically precarious

And because it is conservative country and its population actually believes - to a considerable extent - that they have achieved equality, with quite a shocking number of men even complaining (well, that's a nice word for "whining") that they're already disadvantaged by the consequences of feminism. God forbid you should give those awful men-hating feminists a platform to voice anything publicly about women, equality and whatnot

(personally, I very much believe it's an important cause, always has been, always will be - BUT I don't live my political convictions "publicly" and have, for instance, never attended political events.)

Have a look at the American Women's Club of Zurich web site and there are some ideas there .

Der Frauentag verliert in der Schweiz an Bedeutung

Besides: "Der Frauentag wurde 1911 erstmals begangen - in der Schweiz und drei weiteren Ländern."

March 19th, as always.

(at least down here )

Tom

It does here, it ended last Sunday.

Tom

Is this another example of the inferiority complex of women, that they have to over-justify their being ...... or just a throw back to the 60's and 70's CND marches and lesbian peace camps?

Super! I will gladly sign the petition.

Nice!

I just want to know when "International People Who Have Shit Jobs So The Rest Of Us Can Live In Comfort And Convenience Day" is.

Oh, I forgot. They don't have any representatives in every university campus and at the UN, do they?

Never mind. Let's just forget them, then. They probably didn't work hard enough at school or something...

Thanks Laurie. I'm aware of what the AWCZ are doing. But I guess that's just my point. My impression is that it's the expat community that is rallying, not the Swiss themselves.

Thanks Sublime, very interesting article and right on point. Thanks for pointing it out. If it started here it is even more tragic that it has somehow lost its zest along the way. I only wonder why Terre des Femmes hasn't publicised this super initiative on the official website?!

Can't join... that's our day on the washing machine schedule, so the wife will be busy.

P.S> What do you celebrate on women's day?