Federal Commission for Women\\\\\\\'s Issues FCWI
Address
Schwarztorstrasse 51
3003 Bern
http://www.ekf.admin.ch/index.html?lang=en
Contact person
Elisabeth Keller
Director
031 322 92 76
E-Mail
Operating range
- National
Relevant duties in the context of human rights
The commission
- informs the general public and raises awareness for the advancement of equal opportunities o participates in projects and campaigns
- makes recommendations against discrimination and for equal opportunities between women and men
- gives its opinions on draft laws
- cooperates with national and international organisations (NGOs, commissions, authorities at all levels, international conventions)
Main work in the human rights field
- Human rights monitoring
- Lobbying / Networking / Human rights policies
- Awareness raising, Campaigning
- Information / Documentation
- legal expertise
Protection of vulnerable groups
- Poor, Unemployed
- Foreigners / Migrants
- Women
- Children and adolescents
- Victim of human rights abuses
Issues our organisation works on
- Poverty
- Prohibition of discrimination
- Right to marry / forced marriage
- Women’s rights / gender equality
- Domestic violence
- Political rights
- Equality rights
- Freedom of religion / freedom of thougt and conscience
- Swiss human rights policy
- Social rights / social security / social policiy
International Reference
UN
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women(CEDAW)
Main countries for human rights work
Switzerland
Current projects with human rights focus
- The FCWI's Priorities 2011 are published on the Web in German, French and Italian:
- Thematic Priorities 2011: Development of a practical guide on how to use CEDAW for lawyers and legal practitioners // Implementation of the CEDAW Committee's recommendations made to Switzerland // Women's Rights, Culture and Religion (follow up) // Federal Elections 2011: increasing female participation // Parental leave and parental pay
- Collaboration in different contexts on proposed federal legislation concerning, among others: - Parental custody - Married names - Forced marriage - Female genital mutilation
- Periodical «Frauenfragen / Questions au féminin / Questioni femminili» (Women's Issues): It is published biannually and includes articles in German, French and Italian. N. 1.2009 includes the papers of the conference «The Importance of the UN-Convention of women rights CEDAW for legal practice. Current questions and perspectives of action» of march 5, 2009.
Publications on human rights issues
- Gender Equality and Cultural/Religious Practices. Position paper by the FCWI. Berne 2010
- Women’s rights and human rights: How can the existing international momentum be put to better use in Switzerland’s gender equality policy? Abridged version of a study carried out on behalf of the Swiss Federal Commission for Women’s Issues. Author: Erika Schläppi. Berne 2008. 12 p.
- Further publications in English
- Most of our publications are available in German and French. A selection of articles is available in Italian.
