The surge in women's representation in the 2019 Swiss federal elections

Abstract

In the 2019 Swiss federal elections, women's representation increased more than at any time before, reaching an all‐time high at 42%. In this article, we offer several explanations for this. First, in almost all parties, the percentage of female candidates was significantly larger than in the previous elections. Second, on average female candidates held better positions on party lists, both compared to men and to the previous election. Third, in 2019 (but not in 2015) women were about one percentage‐point more likely to be elected than men, controlling for many relevant factors. Fourth, about one third of the surge was linked to the fact that parties that won seats in 2019 (the Greens, especially) had more women on their lists compared to the parties that lost seats. Fifth, in 2019 voters (women in particular) perceived female candidates as more fit for a political office compared to 2015.