Several hundred thousand purple-clad protesters blowing whistles, banging pots and pans and brandishing feminist slogans filled the streets of Swiss towns and cities on Friday, as women across the country went on strike for equal pay.
“I love badass women” and “Eliminate the patriarchy” figured among the messages on posters and banners, as women vented their frustration with persistent gender discrimination and wage gaps in the wealthy Alpine nation.
“June 14, 2019, enters the recent history of Switzerland as the biggest political event. Considering the whole day, several hundred thousand women took part in actions, strikes and walkouts,” said a statement by USS, an umbrella organisation grouping 16 Swiss unions.
The action comes nearly three decades after women held the country’s first nationwide strike for equal pay.
Pram marches, whistle concerts and giant picnics were planned around the country, with the day’s events culminating in giant demonstrations including the capital Bern (40,000 people), Zurich (70,000), Basel (40,000) and Geneva (20,000), organisers said.
In Lausanne (60,000), the cathedral was lit up in the colour purple.
In Bern women filled the square in front of the government and parliament buildings.
Manu Bondi, 68, joined the protest alongside her daughter and granddaughter, and two friends who demonstrated with her in 1991.
She said she was protesting “in solidarity with all women of all ages”.
“There are more of us this time than in 1991 and our demands are different,” she said.
