
After passing in a national referendum earlier in the year (
see also, see
previously), women finally secured the right to vote and stand for office in federal elections in Switzerland, exercising their rights for the first time on this day a half a century ago. Lise Girardin (*1921 - †2010) of Geneva was nominated by her party (the Free,
Freisinnig Democrats) to be the first female member of the Council of States, der Ständerat—the Upper House of the Swiss federal assembly.