Toilet issue stems from no votes for women till '71

Switzerland, famously, didn’t give women the vote on the federal level until 1971.

The delay on full voting rights is still having an effect today – there aren’t enough toilets for women in the federal parliament building. 

When the building was completed in 1902 – there were no elected women. So, toilet facilities were geared towards men. 

There are 21 toilets for 93 elected women in both houses. But that number doesn’t include female staff. 

Many have been complaining about the lack of facilities – especially when both houses are in session. 

Officials are at pains to point out the situation is legal. By law, there must be one toilet for every 15 women. 

Even so, it’s acknowledged there is a problem and there are plans to improve the situation. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Possible charges for foreign retailers

    Foreign online retailers would have to pay into Switzerland's recycling system under a motion the Federal Council now backs

  • Swiss detained at US immigration

    A 23-year-old Swiss woman has been in US immigration detention since Friday, after ICE agents stopped her at Dallas airport on her way to a family gathering

  • No more paper recycling at SBB stations

    Switzerland's railway network is pulling paper recycling compartments out of station bins, after paper collection at its sorting stations crashed by more than 96% between 2015 and 2025

  • Geneva unemployment rises

    Geneva remains Switzerland's unemployment hotspot, with the rate climbing to 5.3% in figures released today by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

  • Hottest summer ever claims record victims

    Switzerland's hottest summer on record killed around 1,257 people between May and August, according to new estimates from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute

  • Another medical bill for Crans Montana

    Switzerland will foot the roughly CHF 1.5 million medical bill for the twelve Italian victims hospitalised after the Constellation hotel fire in Crans-Montana

Download our app

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play