Swiss Stories

Rita Christen

Rita Christen, the first female president of the Swiss Mountain Guides Association

Society
Rita Christen is the first woman to be elected president of the Swiss Mountain Guides Association (SMGA) in the organisation's more than 100-year history. This 54-year-old from Disentis is a mountain guide, a lawyer and much more besides.
Ajla Del Ponte, Sarah Atcho, Mujinga Kanbundji et Salomé Kora

Swiss sprinters: the women's dream team

Society
Fourth at the last World Championships in Doha in 2019, the Swiss women in the 4 x 100 metres relay will be aiming for a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. They represent Switzerland and have roots in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Congo and Bosnia, which is also their strength.

by Bertrand Monnard

Moderna

Moderna, the coronavirus vaccine made in Switzerland

Science & Education
The Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 was one of the first vaccines available worldwide. All doses supplied to Europe are manufactured by Swiss firm Lonza. Read more…

by Lea Huszno

Patrizia Danzi

A woman who observes, listens and forges ahead

Society
Portrait of Patricia Danzi, head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. When Swiss women won the right to vote at federal level in February 1971, Danzi was just two years old. "I was too young to realise what was going on, but my grandmother gained something tangible that day. It was like being liberated – finally, her voice counted. "
KT Gorique

KT Gorique: the Swiss artist taking the world of hip-hop by storm

Society
Swiss artist KT Gorique is fast securing her place in the temple of hip-hop as a force to be reckoned with. From street dance to the power of words, she has found her creative identity and is not about to let go. Her music reaches from Switzerland to West Africa, resonating in Italy, Germany and France as well as the US and Canada.
Christine Schraner Burgener visits the Thet Kel Pyin Muslim Internally Displaced Persons camp in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Western Myanmar (2018)

Women in Peace Processes

Society
A little over twenty years ago, on 31 October 2000, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1325. With this pioneer resolution, the Security Council recognized for the first time that women’s active and meaningful involvement in political and security decision-making processes is linked with building sustainable peace and security. Two decades later, the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda is slow to progress. As women are at the forefront in responding to crises in their communities and building dialogue and trust in times of conflict, they tend to be excluded from shaping the future of the societies they live in. Switzerland has a long history of engaging in the resolution of conflicts and is a trusted partner in peacebuilding. How are women included in these efforts? Four women working in this field in various roles share with us their views on women’s participation in peace processes.
petite vache en bois au bord du lac

The story behind Switzerland's iconic wooden toy cow

History

In Switzerland, the cow is an icon. Without them, there would be no milk, no cheese, no chocolate.