Men continue to dominate the management of state-owned companies in Switzerland
An article published by RTS presents data showing that there are more men than women among the executives of 20 of the 26 largest state-related companies in Switzerland.
As in many industrialized countries, politicians in Switzerland are pushing for more women to be at the top. The Swiss Federal Council has set itself the goal of filling 40% of management positions in state-related companies with women by 2023. At present, this goal seems unattainable.
Of the 26 companies in the RTS list, there are 5 where women are dominant. For example, at BGRB Holding SA, the holding company of RUAG, 80% of managers are women. One company, the Swiss National Museum, has a perfect 50/50 split between men and women in its management team. The other 20 companies have more men than women in their management. At 80%, the management of RUAG International Holding SA is the most male-dominated company. RUAG is the largest armaments manufacturer in Switzerland.
Other companies with more than 50% men in their management are Swissmedic – the Swiss drug regulator (71.4% men), Switzerland Tourism (69.2% men), PUBLICA – federal pension fund (68.7%), Suva – the largest accident insurer in Switzerland (67.5%), SERV – export insurance (66.7%), Schweizerische Post SA (66.7%), Schweizerische Bahn (66.7%), SRG SSR – Swiss state broadcaster (66, 7%) and FINMA – Financial Supervision of Switzerland (64.7% men).
According to Anne-Marie De Andrea, a spokeswoman for the government’s human resources department, the list includes many companies with a strong technical focus. That could be why so many men work in these companies, she said.
However, some politicians want the 40 percent target to be met. Sandra Locher Benguerel, MP and member of the Socialist Party, said these companies must be held accountable. They must justify why they did not reach the 40% target.
When you’re striving for an outcome, it’s important to look at the steps required to get there. Long before hiring decisions are made, children choose subjects at school that will shape their choices at university and, in turn, their degrees and career paths.
Studies around the world typically show significant gender differences in subject choices at the tertiary level of education. one UK study shows that women are almost four times more likely than men to enroll in medical (3.8 times women to men) and veterinary (3.5 times women to men) subjects. While subjects such as mathematics (1.7 times men to women), engineering (4.2 times men to women) and computer science (4.5 times men to women) are dominated by men. This means that an average medical recruiter gets about 8 female resumes for every 2 males and an IT recruiter gets an average of 9 male resumes for every 2 females. Given these gender imbalances in college graduates, the target of a 50/50 gender recruitment ratio could disadvantage women who chose medical and veterinary majors and disadvantage men who pursue math, engineering and computer science degrees. A blind focus on 50/50 employment rates risks changing the shape of gender discrimination rather than eradicating it.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5-minute French test now
For more stories like this about Switzerland, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.