Switzerland will hold a referendum on the 30th (local time) on ways to expand the mandatory service ..

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Posters supporting Swiss ‘mandatory civil service’ initiative AFP = Yonhap News Agency Photo]

Switzerland will hold a referendum on the 30th (local time) on ways to expand the mandatory service system not only for men but also for women.

Currently, both pros and cons are fiercely opposed, citing women’s rights and equality.

AFP reported on the 27th (local time) that controversy is intensifying in Switzerland ahead of a referendum to decide whether to change the mandatory military service imposed only on men to a “all-people compulsory civil service” system, including women.

The mandatory civil service for all Swiss citizens consists of the need to serve the community and the environment. Unlike the current military service system, which only applies to men, it also applies to women.

Unlike the existing system, where the field of service is set by the military, civil defense, and civilian service, it also includes diversifying the field of service to protect the environment, support for the vulnerable, food security, and disaster prevention.

The Civil Service Association, the organization that proposed the civil service system, argued that requiring all Swiss citizens, regardless of gender, to serve the country in the military or private sector would strengthen social integration.

Noemi Roten, president of the Civil Service Association, explained, “The current system is discriminatory in that it excludes men as well as women from useful connections and experiences obtained during military service.”

The opposition countered that the mandatory civil service system will not have the effect of strengthening equality.

Women are already spending 60% of their time on unpaid work, but men are the opposite, the Swiss Confederation of Trade Unions (USS) said, adding, “Now we demand more unpaid services from women. This will only exacerbate the imbalance,” he claimed.

The Swiss government also opposes the expansion of the service to women, saying that it will far exceed demand and double operating costs, adversely affecting the economy.

The agenda initially gained considerable support, but under the current circumstances, it is unlikely to pass the referendum.

A recent survey by pollster GFS-Berne found that 64% of respondents were against it.