ISO: CHE
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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


SWISS CONFEDERATION
STATEMENT BY FEDERAL COUNCILLOR RUTH REIFUSS,
HEAD OF THE SWISS DELEGATION
TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN
IN BEIJING SEPTEMBER 4-15, 1995


Madam President,
Ladies and gentlemen,

The 4th World Conference on Women opens in an atmosphere of great
unease. Indeed, nothing, is ever definitively gained as far as women's
rights and their position in society are concerned. Violence in all its
forms is one of the most intolerable violations of human rights and is
one of the greatest obstacles to the realisation of equality between
women and men as well as to the development Of a just society.

All acts of violence are not at the same level. First, there is violence
between States or within Slates when they are involved in armed
conflicts, including, civil wars. Switzerland, as depositary of the
Geneva Convention, and their additional Protocols, is particularly
anxious that governments should use this conference to express their
commitment to respect and ensure the respect of international
humanitarian law, and thus to reaffirm the need of civilian populations
for protection. We know well enough that women endure particularly grave
violations of their rights in times of armed conflict, violations which
may be considered as the most absolute and the most fearsome embodiments
of the imbalance between women and men.

Then comes the daily and almost "common" use Of violence, imposed by
States or tolerated by them. Here one must cite the grave violations of
human rights consisting in sexual mutilations, prenatal sex selection,
as well as forced abortion and forced sterilisation. The recognition of
women's rights as human rights, a process that started in Vienna during
the world conference on human rights, must continue and go further on.

Among individuals, there exists another form Or pervasive violence, less
visible because it often occurs in the privacy of the home and concerns
woman and children, as victims of domestic violence. -states cannot
accept that such violations of human rights occur in the private sphere.

I would also like to address a last form of violence, that can be called
economic violence and which condemns a large number of people to a
dramatic situation. This is the case in many of the countries of the
South. But it is also increasingly true in the countries of the North,
including those with a very high gross national product. Almost
everywhere, we see a serious increase in the gap between rich and poor.
Women are particularly exposed to and affected by poverty, especially
since they take chief responsibility for children, the elderly and the
sick. We must take this into account, in our social policies, in
education and training, employment and development aid.

The Beijing Conference stands under the triple banner of equality,
development and peace. Its central themes are the participation of women
at all levels and in all areas of society and the necessity of
transforming the relationship between women and men. This is the only
way to bring concrete solutions to the fundamental problems of' our
time. The four recent United Nations conferences (Rio 1992 on the
environment, Vienna 1993 on human rights, Cairo l994 on population and
development, the social summit in Copenhagen in 1995) have stressed,
each in its own field, the importance of widespread participation by
women, as well as the need for measures which will help bridging the gap
between words and actions.

In the decade since the Nairobi Conference, we have indeed made progress
in several fields, countries and regions. But stagnation and even, in
some tragic cases, reversal of such progress has also occurred. Respect
for fundamental rights is still far from being guaranteed to women to
the same extent as it is to men. In addition, women are far from having
equal opportunities of access to health care (particularly in the field
of reproduction), to education, to employment and to political and
economic responsibility. There remain many areas of resistance. It is
our duty to pledge ourselves firmly not only to maintain what has been
achieved but also to advance the cause of women.

The Nairobi Conference, for example, contributed to the development, in
Switzerland, of a whole series of concrete proposals for bringing about
equality. In particular, a law on equality will soon come into force.
This law will substantially improve the situation of women wage-earnings
in both the private and public sectors. The law includes a ban on all
kinds of job discrimination as well as protective measures against
dismissal. It also recognises the right of` trade unions and women's
groups to institute legal proceedings. In the field of social security,
our system now lakes into account the unremunerated work devoted to
childcare and care for other dependent persons. The law thus establishes
new rights for old-age pensioners. As a result of' the progress made
towards equality between women and men, the government has asked
Parliament to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women as soon as possible.
Switzerland has waited until its own legal system allowed for a
ratification without substantial reservations.

The Beijing Conference will give new stimulus for Switzerland to
implement other measures towards the realisation of equality between
women and men, such as the adoption of a law on paid maternity leave,
the introduction of a non-discriminatory law on divorce, and improvement
of the statistical data.

These Conferences thus provide an opportunity to encourage debate in
every country and to stimulate improvements. Though many other actors
are also involved, among them the  NGO´S, the main responsibility must
always rest with the State. States must be prepared to uphold this
responsibility, for they arc the only actors capable of establishing the
mechanisms of social protection and redistribution of wealth - including
redistribution of positions of influence -necessary to reach equality.

Indeed, governments are not the on}y ones playing an active role. Women
around the world, even when faced with the worst possible difficulties,
commit themselves - either individually or collectively - in order to
overcome their problems. Despite all obstacles, they try to create
living conditions acceptable both to themselves, their families and
future generations and in this way they contribute to achieving
equality, dignity and justice. The presence of so many non-governmental
organisations at the forum being held at Huairou testifies most
forcefully to the vitality, courage and motivation of so many women
involved in the cause of equality, development and peace. II falls to us
who represent governments to appreciate and respect the role of these
non-governmental organisations. They often draw our attention to the
problems which need to be resolved and lobby us to take the necessary
measures. When it comes to transforming the aspirations of equality,
development and peace into reality, all the actors mentioned in the
platform of action -states, non-governmental organisations, the private
sector, the media, etc. - have their role to play. In order to play this
role correctly on the national level the NGO´s who wish to participate
first in the 4th World Conference on Women must benefit from a non-
discriminatory treatment, according to the UN principles.

We live in a troubled world. Questions are being asked about whether our
institutions, both national and international are capable of fulfilling
their roles and guaranteeing the rights proclaimed in so many
international documents and in the majority Of national constitutions.
We must succeed in sending out to women - as indeed to those men ready
to commit themselves to this cause - a message of solidarity and hope
for social justice. At one major international conference after another
governments have come to accept that nothing will be accomplished
without the equal participation of women. This is our opportunity to
show that we take our own commitments seriously. That is the price we
must pay for equality, development and peace.