The commission is comprised of 20 specialists from women’s associations, social partnerships and academia as well as other established experts concerned with gender equality and women’s issues.
Organisation
The FCWI consists of 20 members with a plenary assembly, president, vice-president, business committee and working groups.
The president and members are elected by the Federal Council for a four-year term of office. The vice-president is elected by the remaining committee members or confirmed at the beginning of the term of office.
The commission is comprised of the following bodies:
The plenary session is the supreme body of the commission. It is convened by the president of the commission four to five times a year.
The president represents the commission externally, convenes the commission’s meetings and chairs the plenary session and executive committee.
The vice-presidency consists of two vice-presidents. The vice-presidency supports the functioning of the presidency.
The executive committee is comprised of the president and vice-presidents. It meets six to eight times a year. Its duties include: Preparing the plenary sessions and implementing its decisions, making decisions on current and urgent business, coordinating activities of the working groups, bringing in external experts for projects and hearings.
Working groups prepare items of business for the commission, conduct investigations and supervise projects. They submit reports on their activities to the plenary session on a regular basis. They are dissolved once their mandate has been completed
The office participates in the plenary sessions, the executive committee and the working groups. It submits regular reports to the executive committee and the commission on activities conducted on behalf of the commission.
The commission’s head of office takes part in all of the commission’s meetings with an advisory vote and represents the commission externally in agreement with the presidency.
Members
Cesla Amarelle
Full Professor of Law at the University of Neuchâtel, since 2024
Maya Dougoud
Associate Professor of ICT Law and Data Protection at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland / School of Management Fribourg, since 2024
Jean-Daniel Strub
männer.ch (President), 2024
Véronique Arlettaz
Baccalaureate schoolteacher (Lugano), since 2020
Barbara Berger
National umbrella organisation “protestant women” (Co-Head of Office), since 2026
Thierry Delessert
Research Associate in the field of Sexual Sciences at the University of Geneva, since 2024
Jana Fehrensen-Valentova
Swiss Charitable Women’s Association (Co-President), since 2021
Franciska Hildebrand
Collaborative Lawyer (Collaborative Law and Practice clp, Switzerland), Specialist lawyer in family law, Swiss Bar Association, since 2020
Cyrielle Huguenot
Swiss Trade Union Federation SGB (General Secretary), since 2025
Michèle Lisibach
Swiss Union of Crafts and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises sgv (Department Head) and President KMU Women Switzerland, since 2024
Sandra Locher Benguerel
alliance F (Union of Swiss women’s associations) (Board member), since 2026
Daniella Lützelschwab Saija
Confederation of Swiss Employers SAV (Executive Board Member), since 2016
Stéphane Progin
Swiss Association of Commercial Employees (Member of General Committee), since 2024
David Raedler
Attorney-at-law at HDC Law Firm, Specialist Lawyer SAV (Swiss Bar Association) Labour Law, since 2024
Fabienne Roos
Swiss Women’s Association (Board member), since 2024
Gabi Schürch-Wyss
Swiss Women Farmers’ Association SBLV/USPF (Vice-president), since 2020
Karin Schwiter
Professor of Labour Geography at the University of Zurich, since 2020
Edith Siegenthaler
Travail.Suisse (Chief Executive Officer and Head of Social Policy, since 2024
Anu Sivaganesan
Jurist at University of Zurich, since 2020
Ex officio advisors: Stéphanie Lachat and Gian Beeli, Co-directors of the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE)
