Topic: 2024-Gender Equality in Rural Areas
Country: Switzerland
Delegate Name: Bridget Lynn
Bridget Lynn
Richwoods High School
The Swiss Confederation
UN Women: Gender Equality in Rural Areas
Switzerland has supported the goals of UN Women since it was established. The delegation recognizes that gender equality should be a given right and that there is no reason that people should be discriminated against because of their gender. Switzerland wants to work towards making sure every person in the country has the same opportunities and rights as their peers. However, it’s important that Switzerland puts focus into the women and girls living in the rural areas in the country. Especially since 25.8% of Switzerland is rural, meaning a quarter of the population is living in those areas.
Gender roles are far more imposed in rural areas throughout society, which makes it harder for women to gain access to higher-level education or take on leadership positions. These opportunities give women a greater chance of having a long and successful career. But instead, a lot of women are forced to stay home and cook, clean, and take care of children.
Over the years, Switzerland has been taking steps to ensure that women have the same opportunities and rights as men. Women living in rural areas are far more likely to be unrepresented in decision-making; they have limited access to education, and even though they make up a large majority of agricultural workers, they still need to be paid. In response, Switzerland has been “Improving access for women to the job market, amending the necessary legal bases to enable women to participate in the economy on an equal basis; strengthening governments and public service to facilitate implementation of their programs in the area of gender equality.”
Switzerland recognizes the complexity of this situation and looks forward to improving the delegation’s views and policies on helping women gain equal rights and have the same opportunities as men. It is important that the Swiss delegation moves in the right direction so that women across the country have the ability to go to school and be a part of the country’s workforce.
