In a decisive referendum held on Sunday, more than 84 % of voters in Switzerland rejected a proposal that would have required women — alongside men — to perform mandatory national service, including military duty or civil defence, or participate in alternate forms of public service.
Under the current system, Swiss men are already obligated to serve either in the armed forces or civil protection units; those who refuse can opt for other forms of service, or else pay an exemption fee. The measure put to vote, known as the “citizen service initiative,” sought to extend this duty to all citizens — men and women — and to broaden “national service” to include non-military public tasks such as environmental protection, food security, and elderly care.
Supporters of the initiative argued it would strengthen social cohesion and collective responsibility, particularly in times of increasing uncertainty in Europe — pointing to threats like natural disasters, floods, cyber-attacks, energy shortages, and possible spill-over effects from conflicts such as the war in Ukraine. “By proposing a national service for all young people…everybody takes responsibility to work for a stronger Switzerland that’s able to stand up to crises,” they said in campaign statements.
But this view found little traction with voters, who overwhelmingly opted against the change. Not a single one of Switzerland’s 26 cantons supported the measure — underscoring the depth of opposition across the country.
Opponents — including the government and most of parliament — argued that the national service expansion would impose significant financial and economic burdens. Each year, around 35,000 men serve under the existing conscription system, at a government cost of nearly 1 billion Swiss francs (approximately USD 1.25 billion). Doubling that number of conscripts, they warned, would not just double the expense but also siphon tens of thousands of young people out of the workforce.
Furthermore, critics challenged the argument that mandatory service for women would advance gender equality. They noted that women already carry a disproportionate share of unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities at home. Forcing them into compulsory public service, they argued, would simply burden them further — especially in light of persistent inequalities in workplace and societal norms.
The referendum occurred alongside a separate proposal to impose a 50 per cent tax on inheritances and donations above 50 million francs, intended to fund climate-change mitigation efforts. That measure, too, was rejected — by more than 78 per cent of voters.
Sunday’s vote, part of Switzerland’s tradition of frequent referendums giving citizens direct control over key policy decisions, sends a clear message: Swiss society is not ready to redefine its system of national service to include women — and remains wary of sweeping social reforms that may carry heavy economic or social costs.
