THE TELEGRAPH: The Swiss government has more women in its cabinet than men for the first time in the country's history.
Swiss women have for the first time taken control of the reins of power in an Alpine country that denied any females the vote until 1971.
One Swiss canton, Appenzell Inner-Rhodes, continued to bar women from local elections until 1990, making Switzerland the last European country to introduce universal suffrage.
The historic shift in the balance of power came as the Swiss parliament in Bern voted Simonetta Sommaruga, a Social Democrat MP, on to the cabinet, a Federal Council.
The council is comprised of seven politicians from different parties, four of whom are now women, and does without a fixed Prime Minister or President to rule Switzerland - one of the most prosperous countries in the world.
"It's a great day to see a female majority in the Cabinet," said Claudine Esseiva, a cabinet ministers and member of the pro-business Free Democrats. >>> Bruno Waterfield | Wednesday, September 22, 2010
