Friday, December 14, 2012

Women's Suffrage - More Recent Than You Think

Being a history teacher, my head is filled with all kinds of useless knowledge.  A couple days ago, my fellow teachers and I were having a talk after school, when the subject of suffrage came up.  I mentioned that Switzerland was one of the last countries to grant women the vote and said that I thought it was 1976.  Samantha said it was 1971 and looked it up.  She was right and I was wrong.


Even though I already had this fuzzy fact in my head (picturing suffragettes as older ladies with large hats and ankle length dresses in our country), I knew Switzerland was late to the game.  After reading a little bit last night, I was even more surprised to uncover a few additional facts.

 
Two Swiss Anti-Suffrage Posters from the late 1950s
(left translation, "The mother works in politics! NO women's suffrage & voting)
(right translation, "Do you want those women? No women voting")

Although Switzerland held several national votes to grant women's suffrage, each was denied until 1971, but Switzerland is a confederation so each canton could grant suffrage and the first women voted at the local level in 1959.  At the time of the 1971 vote, the majority of cantons still denied votes to women.  Since that time, all but one had approved votes for women until 1990.  Appenzell Innerrhoden was the lone holdout, rejecting it in 1973, 1982, and 1990.  Following the 1990 vote, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court forced the canton to allow it, thereby making Switzerland the last country in Europe to allow full suffrage at all levels for women (the last to allow it nationally was tiny Lichtenstein in 1984).

So how could this small Swiss canton continue to reject votes for women despite overwhelming external pressure to adopt universal suffrage?  My guess is that it was the massive internal pressure to keep things the way they were.

Most of the worst case scenarios presented by the anti-sufferage movement had typically centered around the notion that if women were to get involved in politics, they would abandon domestic life or somehow reverse the social order and fall under the rule of domineering Amazonians.

Poor chap, he had it so good until his wife was able to cast a ballot!

Can't blame them, politics takes so much time, I'd abandon my children too!

Just like women, let them vote and then they want to put out fires!

Getting back to Appenzell Innerrhoden, the curious thing I discovered was that many Swiss cantons practice a rather unique forms of direct democracy – particularly so in Appenzell Innerrhoden, where they still hold something called Landsgemeinde, an open-air election assembly.  Each year on the last Sunday in April, all eligible voters gather in the village square for a cantonal assembly.

Landsgemeinde in Appenzell Innerrhoden

The Sunday morning begins with a church service followed by a parade at noontime to the village square.

Landsgemeinde Parade

Elected officials and members of the court wear their black robes and take their places on the platform in front of the assembly.  To gain admittance to the assembly, in the roped off center of the square, citizens must present their voters card (until 1991, when women first voted a family sword or bayonet was used as identification and men are still allowed to use this in place of a voting card).  After electing cantonal officials, anyone in the assembly is allowed to discuss any bill or make proposals and votes are conducted with a raising of the hand.


I think more than anything else, this public display of your voting was what kept women's suffrage from passing earlier.  With only men voting and looking around to see who would grant women the right to join them was probably too much pressure for some of these traditional men.

There may have also been a bit of the natural tendency for some of them to think about women who they didn't believe were thoughtful enough to vote.  I was surprised to learn, while listening to a radio show, that the early female British archaeologist and explorer, Gertrude Bell, was an anti-suffragist.  She believed that while she may have been intelligent enough to vote, the majority of her gender were not yet ready.  I must admit, sometimes I feel that way today, but about both genders.

Well, thanks for reading.  If you ask me, I believe that women in Switzerland would have gotten the vote far earlier if they had campaigned more like this:



25 comments:

recumbent conspiracy theorist said...

Well done Nate! Interesting as always. I had no idea about the Swiss and womans voting rights.

That last poster is great.

Unknown said...

The Swiss also recently banned the building of Mosque Minarets, so I guess they are a bit on the conservative side of things. Which reminds me of a famous saying by Orson Welles: "In Switzerland, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

stevenjocb said...

Nate! You did fabulous job to share this article which have a lot of valuable points regarding Women. Infect, It contain the facts regarding women and we should accept these facts. However, I want best essay uk but as a women some unique information contain this post and i'm happy to have it.

Anonymous said...

It is high time that Apple updated their Maps system with iOS 11. That way, it can finally step up and pose a tough competition to Google with the help of the new drone’s technology. iOS 11 Beta

al3ab banat01 said...

من اروع العاب البنات الجديدة انها العاب قص الشعر للبنات والعرائس.حقا انها لعبة ممتعة للغاية فيها تستطيع البنات التحكم فى عمل احدث قصات الشعر الجديدة للبنات والعرائس ومن ثم لها القدرة على اختيار قصات الشعر المناسبة للبنات من شعر طويل ناعم او شعر قصير جميل او عمل ضفائر جميلة تجعل البنات متألقين بجمالهم الرائع.
لعبة قص شعر البنات تفيد البنات فى معرفة احدث انواع قصات الشعر التى تلائم كل شكل للبنات وتجعل لكل واحدة ان تختار قصة شعرها التى تعبر عن جمالها وعن شخصيتها الجميلة بين البنات.
كانت هذه نبذة مختصرة عن احدث العاب البنات التى يمكن ان يلعبها البنات على الانترنت الان يوجد ايضا الكثير من الالعاب التى تكون موجهه للبنات فقط ولكن نكتفى بهذا القدر من تعريف العاب البنات الموجودة الان والتى يمكن للبنات ان تلعبها الان مجانا على الانترنت.
هل انتم مستعدون الان ايها البنات للعب العاب البنات الجديدة؟ اذا ادخلوا الان والعبو اجمل العاب البنات عبر موقع العاب بنات جديدة الان
نتمنى لكم قضاء وقتا طيبا مع اجمل العاب بنات جديدة
العاب بنات 2017
العاب بنات - العاب تلبيس بنات ومكياج والطبخ

Alex daina said...

Auto title advances are additionally known for its quick preparing and endorsement. To the individuals who need quick money, this advance is certainly for you. Your advance applications can be affirmed in 24 to 48 hours. car title loans chicago

Petter said...


Greatly composed article, if just all bloggers offered the same substance as you, the web would be a much better place.
Menmyshop
Car Stereo
Double Din Android Player
Hyepersonic Double Din Player
Hyundai Creta Double Din Player
Hyundai Xcent OEM Double Din Player
banzara

Sophie Grace said...

Your blogs further more each else volume is so entertaining further serviceable It appoints me befall retreat encore. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. net worth

Tad D. Riley said...


I appreciate your blog. This is the first time I am visiting your post. It's quite awesome to read your post. Thanx for sharing.

lenderslists

review for loans


Tad D. Riley said...

I appreciate your blog.This is very good
EveryHourLoans

Thatrue said...


فنى سباك فى المنصورة
فنى سباك فى 6 اكتوبر
فنى سباك فى مدينة نصر
فنى سباك فى التجمع الخامس
افضل معرض اثاث فى الاسكندرية
فنى سباك فى مدينتى
متجر الاثاث البسيط

JannethManalu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
aqsaaa said...


تصليح غسالات اتوماتيك بالكويت , في الماضي لجئ الجميع إلى استخدام طريقة التنظيف اليدوية للملابس أو غيرها من المفروشات، ولكن مثلما أشرت كان هذا الأمر يأخذ الكثير من الوقت والجهد ولا تستطيع أن تضمن القدرة على إزالة البقع والأوساخ المتواجدة بالملابس، ولكن مع التطورات التكنولوجية الجديدة ظهرت أنواع عدة من الغسالات جعلت من عملية غسيل الملابس أكثر سهولة.

ولكن هنالك عدد متنوع من الأسباب التي قد تصيب تلك الغسالات بأعطال سنناقشها سريعاً، إلا أنه من المهم أن تعلم عن أنواع الغسالات الشائعة والتي كثيراً ما تأتينا خدمات تصليح غسالات اتوماتيك بالكويت لإصلاحها فمن تلك الأنواع ما يلي:





تصليح غسالات

james john said...

The article was up to the point and described the information very effectively. Thanks to blog author for wonderful and informative post.
Metal Detector Service Pakistan

seocom said...

سباك بالمدينة المنورة
دهان بالمدينة المنورة

كهربائي بالمدينة المنورة
نجار بالمدينة المنورة
شركة تنسيق حدائق بالمدينة المنورة
شقق للايجار بالمدينة المنورة
صيانة الافران بالمدينة المنورة
تركيب كاميرات مراقبة بالمدينة المنورة
شركة انشاء مسابح بالمدينة المنورة

Roksy said...


mobile repairing course in delhi

mobile repairing course karol bagh

mobile repairing course raipur

mobile repairing course in ranchi

led tv repairing course in delhi

mobile repairing course in delhi

laptop repairing institute in patna

laptop repairing institute


El Awal said...

افضل شركة كشف تسربات المياه ببريدة
شركة كشف تسربات المياه ممتازة بالدوادمي
شركات كشف تسربات المياه بالخرج رخيصة
افضل شركة كشف تسربات المياه بالخرج
شركة كشف تسربات المياه بتبوك ممتازة
شركة كشف تسربات المياه بالرس مجربة
شركة كشف تسربات المياه بالرياض مضمونة
شركة تنظيف بالرياض
شركة تنظيف بالرياض
شركة تنظيف بالرياض

Unknown said...

شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالدمام

شركة تنظيف مجالس بالدمام
شركة خدمات منزلية بالدمام
شركة تنظيف كنب بالدمام

شركة رش مبيدات بالدمام
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمام

Unknown said...

شركة رش مبيدات بالدمام
شركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمام

شركة تنظيف خزانات بالدمام
شركة شفط بيارات بالدمام

شركة كشف تسريبات بالدمام
شركة تنظيف سجاد بالدمام


شركة تنظيف موكيت بالدمام

Unknown said...


شركة جلى وتلميع رخام بالدمام


شركة تنظيف بيوت شعر خيام بالدمام
شركة جلى وتلميع سيراميك بالدمام
شركة تنظيف افران بالدمام
شركة تنظيف واجهات زجاج وحجر بالدمام

شركة تنظيف مساجد بالدمام
شركة جلى وتلميع بلاط بالدمام
شركة عزل بالدمام

شركة مكافحة حمام بالدمام

شركة تنظيف مسابح بالدمام

Unknown said...

شركة نقل اثاث بالدمام

شركة تنظيف ثلاجات بالدمام
شركة تنظيف مطابخ بالدمام


شركة نظافة ستائر بالدمام

شركة تنظيف مساجد بالدمام
شركة تنظيف بالدمام



El Awal said...

شركة تنظيف شمال الرياض
شركة تنظيف موكيت شرق الرياض
شركة تنظيف فلل شرق الرياض
شركة تنظيف شقق شرق الرياض
شركة تنظيف بالرياض
شركة تنظيف بالرياض
شركة تنظيف بالرياض

Current Affairs Magazine said...

Nice sharing, Thanks for sharing this type of posts, I search many time this type of post, are you interest to How to Lose Weight?

Unknown said...

Yes, it is a very surprising fact that Switzerland is the last democratic country that gave the right to vote to women in last, And there is still Women who are still fighting for their rights so I humbly suggest you to support them by clicking on Best VPS Hosting 2021 and give them support they need

Lomas Karlo said...

I am glad that you let us show our thoughts and views about your site. At first, when I looked at it I thought it's just automated content of google. But when I read some of the posts I get so surprised and amazed at the same time.
If to be honest I just got redirected here while I was testing my VPN called KeepSolid VPN. I bought it at the very best price with keepsolid coupon and did not stop myself to do a test run of it.