Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Switzerland/Swiss Confederation/ Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft/Confédération Suisse/ Confederazione Suizzera/ Confederaziun Helvetica (Female suffrage 1971)

See also Parliament and Female Candidates for the Bundesrat

1984-89 Federal Councillor of Justice and Police Elisabeth Kopp
1984-89 Substitute Councillor of Finance
1989 Vice-President of the Confederation (1.1-12.1.89)
Between 1974-75 President of the Grossrat (Grand Council) of Zürich, Had to resign from the government because of a scandal of which she was later cleared in court. (b. 1934-)

1993-2002 Federal Councillor of Interior Ruth Dreifuss
1993-2002 Substitute Councillor of Economic Affairs
1998 Vice-President of the Confederation (1.1.-31.12.)
1998 Bundespräsidentin, Presidente de la Confédération (1.1-31.12)
The Interior-resort includes the Departments of Social Affairs, Health, Education, Science and Research, Culture and Equality. (b. 1940-)

1999-2003 Federal Councillor of Justice and Police Ruth Metzler-Arnold
1999-2003 Substitute Councillor of Finance
2003 Vice-President of the Federation
2004 Designate Federal President
Ruth Metzler was considered a future hope of Swiss politics but was was narrowly defeated for re-election in 2003 as the first Councillor of State not to be reelected for 131 years, as the parliament preferred a 18 years older man from her party, who then took over the post of Federal President, which she would have occupied, had she remained in office. He resigned two years later. She was Sächelmeisterin, Councillor of Finance 1996-99 and Vice-President of the Government 1998-99 of the Kanton Appenzell-Innerhoden. (b. 1964-).

2000-07 Federal Chancellor Annemarie Huber-Hotz
She was Secretary General for the National Assembly 1992-99. As Bundeskanzlerin/Chancellière de la Confédération/Cancelliera della Confederazione she has the rang of a Federal Counciller and is the Chief of Staff, Secretary General, advisor and coordinator of the government business, an important post, since the presidency rotates every year between the Government Councillors. (b. 1948-)

2003-11 Federal Councillor of Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy-Rey
2003-10 Substitute Councillor of Interior
2006 Vice-President of the Confederation
2007 President of the Confederation
2010-11 Substitute Councillor of Finance
2010 Vice-President of the Confederation
2011 President of the Confederation
Former President of the Socialist Party of Génève, she was President of the Grand Conseil of Génève 1993, Councillor of Finance 1997-2002, Vice-President of the Cantonal Government 2000-01 and President of the Cantonal Government 2001-02. Until 2006 she was the only woman of 7 ministers in a government whose average age was 62. (b. 1945-).

2006-10 Federal Councillor of Economic Affairs Doris Leuthard
2006-10 Substitute Councillor of Foreign Affairs
2009 Vice-President of the Confederation
2010 President of the Confederation (1.1.-31.12)
2010- Federal Councillor of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication
2010- Substitute Councillor of Economic Affairs
2016 Vice-President of the Confederation
2017 President of the Confederation (1.1.-31.12)
Grossrätin des Kantons Aargau 1997-2000, Vice-President of Christian Democratic Party, CVP 2001-04 and President of CVP Schweiz 2004-06. Apart from Economic Affairs she was in charge of Agriculture, Veterenary Affairs, Consumer Affairs, Housing, Vocational Training and Technology and European Integration. (b. 1963-).

2008-10 Federal Councillor of Justice and Police Eveline Widmer-Sclumpf
2008-10 Substitute Councillor of Finance
2008 Acting Councillor of Finance (6 weeks from September)
2010-15 Federal Councillor of Finance
2010-15 Substitute Councillor of Justice and Police
2011 Vice-President of the Confederation
2012 President of the Confederation
She was elected by the Parliament instead of the SVP-Party leader and when the accepted the the election, she was excluded from the party together with the male candidate from the party, who also joined the government. She was Councillor of Finance and Military of Graubünden 1998-2007, Vice-President of the Government 2000 and 2004 and President of the Government 2001 and 2005. (b. 1956-)

2008-15 Federal Chancellor Corina Casanova
Became Vice-Chancellor 2005 in succession to Hanna Muralt Müller, who had been in office since 1990. (b. 1956-).

2010- Federal Councillor of Justice and Police Simonetta Sommaruga
2010- Substitute Councillor of Interior
2014 Vice-President of the Confederation
2015 President of the Conferation
From 2010 5 of the Federal Council were women (including the Federal Chancellor) and 3 were men and from 2012 there was 4 of each gender, until 2015 when there were 2 women and 6 men in the government. (b. 1960-)

2011- State Secretary of Economy Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch
She worked in the World Bank before taking over various leadership functions in the State Secretary within the Department of Economy, Science and Education, which is mainly in charge of Economy, External Trade and Development Cooperation. (b. 1961-)