Swiss fathers enjoy devoting lots of time to their children – if you believe what most of them say. And we want to believe them. However, 78 per cent of fathers with children aged three or younger work full-time in Switzerland. In practice, only two per cent devote maximum time to childcare as the bona fide house husband.
It is easier for partners to share childcare duties when both receive the same salary for the same amount of work. According to the University of St Gallen, women receive equal pay at 97 per cent of Swiss companies. However, the university only surveyed companies with 100 or more employees – and these businesses were allowed to prepare the relevant salary data themselves.
Hence, we should possibly think twice before dismissing the statistics provided by the Federal Office for Gender Equality. These paint a different picture: the average full-time wage in Switzerland is 7,968 francs for men but 6,456 francs for women. Most of this 1,512-franc difference is “inexplicable” – in other words, due to discrimination.
Not many people know this, but orders for photo books were up by as much as 25 per cent in 2020 (depending on which photo book company you ask). We all had plenty of time to reminisce during last year’s lockdown. The same companies now say that orders have plummeted. This is because wedding and holiday photos were a rarity in 2020.
With a total of 13 medals, Switzerland ended the Tokyo Olympics in 24th position on the table. To put a much better spin on this: Switzerland would be ranked 15th if its athletes’ performances were judged in relation to population size. That is one medal for every 660,000 Swiss.
Picture This particular daddy is caring for his four-month-old son. However, most fathers of small children in Switzerland work full-time. Photo: Keystone
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