Frauen der Tat. Die politische Einflussnahme des Bundes Schweizerischer Frauenvereine, 1949-1971.

This thesis explores alternative ways of political participation and means of taking influence on the agenda setting for women in Switzerland before obtaining the right to vote in 1971. The focus thereby lies on Switzerland’s biggest women-organization, the Bund Schweizerischer Frauenvereine (BSF). To take part in the political process on a federal level the members of the BSF drafted petitions, in which they focused on the demands and concerns of all women in Switzerland. Between 1949 and 1971 the BSF conceptualized 340 petitions focusing on five main topics: In the early 1950s the main interest was on the equality of civil rights. Furthermore, with the start of economic growth the discussion on equal wages emerged. Simultaneously the BSF continued to engage in the already existing debate on women’s suffrage. Lastly, in the beginning of the 1960s, the focus shifted to the implementation of a maternity insurance and an equal old-age and survivors' insurance system. This thesis concludes that, despite of high commitment, the BSF’s influence on the political agenda remained limited. However, they managed to set important courses for the future, which led gradually to the realization of almost all their demands.