Advocacy strategies to counteract anti-SRHR and anti-gender movements in Switzerland

Carine Weiss / MMS: Apparently, the anti-SRHR movement is also active in Switzerland. Can you explain us what is going on in a country which seems to the outside open, liberal and progressive?

Susanne Rohner: You say, Switzerland seems to be open, liberal and progressive. Generally speaking, I would say yes, Switzerland belongs to the relatively progressive countries. We have made progress in relation to sexual rights: A majority of the general public, for example, supports free choice and good access to abortion as well as same sex marriage. However, there is still much to be done in Switzerland, we regularly face opposition, which in some ways is similar to the one in other countries. Therefore, SANTE SEXUELLE SUISSE, who’s priority of work is SRHR, is regularly confronted with this anti-SRHR, anti-gender and anti-choice movements.

MMS: Can you give an examples?

SR: Let me start with a key topic of anti-SRHR movement:abortion. Opposition to abortion is an issue all over the world and as we have seen with the United States, pushbacks can become a reality. Also in Switzerland, this anti-choice movement is still very active. Last year, we had the 20^th anniversary of the Swiss legislation on abortion. Instead of celebrating the anniversary, anti-choice activists have then started collecting signatures for two new initiatives, with the aim to raise new barriers against abortion.The deadline for collecting signatures finally expired on 21. June 2023 without the necessary 100,000 signatures being gathered. The failure of the initiatives shows that support for anti-choice claims is apparently decreasing.

MMS: Who stands behind these initiatives?

SR: It is assumed that the association mamma.ch stands behind the anti-choice-initiatives The association has launched various political initiatives in the past decades to raise barriers and prevent pregnant persons from having an abortion, among them also extremely harsh ones. They are active on political level, but also provide proactively counselling in order to prevent pregnant persons from having an abortion. They are interlinked with the Schweizerische Hilfe für Mutter und Kind (SHMK).

MMS: These movements are not only working on the political level but also on the community level to influence mindsets and choices. We are talking here about anti-choice organisations. Do you also know of other anti-SRHR organisations, that are active in Switzerland?

SR: We are regularly confronted with activities of the Verein Schutzinitiative. They have been lobbying against sexuality education for many years. The association has its origins in the federal popular initiative "Protection against sexualisation in kindergarten and primary school”, which was withdrawn in 2015. The association also stands behind the two lawsuits by parents who wanted to have their children dispensed from sexuality education. They went all the way to the European Court for Human Rights in Strassbourg - without success, the European Court for Human rights supported in 2018 the decision of the Swiss Supreme Court.

MMS: What kind of measures do these organisations use to hinder organisations such as yours to promote CSE?

Susanne Rohner: I can give you an example which gave our organisation quite some publicity and kept us busy. In 2021, we have published the broschure «Hey You», which addresses adolescents from the age of 12 and which is also used in sexuality education. It has been developed by experts, meets current professional standards and is widely appreciated. The brochure is also supported by the Federal Office for Public Health. After the publication, the attacks of opponents against comprehensive sexuality education came immediately: We witnessed a rise in parliamentary questions, media campaigns, attempts towards education authorities to ban the broschure. And finally, last year, the Verein Schutzinitiative initiated a lawsuit against our organisation and two staff members. They accused us of inciting sexual activity of children by publishing the brochure «Hey You», which addresses adolescents 12 years and older.

After the publication, the attacks of opponents against comprehensive sexuality education came immediately: We witnessed a rise in parliamentary questions, media campaigns, attempts towards education authorities to ban the broschure. And finally, last year, the Verein Schutzinitiative initiated a lawsuit against our organisation and two staff members. They accused us of inciting sexual activity of children by publishing the brochure «Hey You», which addresses adolescents 12 years and older.

MMS: What are the implications of these attacks on your organisation?

SR: Luckily, the prosecutor did not want to respond to the allegations. He concluded: To accuse SANTE SEXUELLE SUISSE of endangering the physical and mental development of children seems downright absurd. However, the procedure is going on because the Verein Schutzinitiative is objecting the decision of the public prosecutor. The impact of these allegations for us as an organisation is as following: The lawsuit absorbs some energy and personal ressources. We see it as an attempt of intimidation, since it personally addresses staff members. We also see an attempt of defamation aiming at stopping support and public funding for SRHR issues. At the same time, the activities of the Verein Schutzinitiative against our publication had a positive side effect for us as we received a lot of publicity and interest for the broschure «Hey You». We have received a lot of support and a very positive echo also among young people.

MMS: It sounds like you were also benefitting of this attack. In your point of view how can your organisation counteract such opposition? What kind of strategies do you use?

SR: It is key that our work builds on sound and recognised standards and expertise. In addition, it is important to have good partnerships so that we can stand together in response to such attacks. When talking of partnerships, I mean good contacts to different stakeholders, to civil servants, to representatives of other civil society organisations, to experts, professionals, researchers and members of parliament (MP). In the context of parliamentary work, it is important to work with MP’s from different political parties. That’s why the parliamentary group for sexual health and rights, for which SANTE SEXUELLE SUISSE is providing the secretariat, is a so called all political parties group (APPG).

The impact of these allegations for us as an organisation is as following: The lawsuit absorbs some energy and personal ressources. We see it as an attempt of intimidation, since it personally addresses staff members. We also see an attempt of defamation aiming at stopping support and public funding for SRHR issues.

MMS: Isn't it a challenge to reach out to actors with different interests? What are your strategies?

SR: We have to be aware of the narratives and also adapt the framing in order to reach out to new target groups and address the moveable middle. For example last year, at the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the abortion legislation, we focussed our campaign on the slogan: “My health, my choice!”. The right to decide about your own body is not only a question of sexual rights but also a question of health.

MMS: You have mentioned the importance of partnerships. Can you be more specific?

SR: We collaborate a lot with other civil society organisations and networks and play there an active role. On national level for example as member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland, the Network Istanbul Convention, the NGO-coordination post Beijing Switzerland, the NGO Platform on human rights and the Plattform Agenda 2030. We are committed to sexual rights from different angles such as human rights, women’s rights, global health and sustainable development. With several of these platforms we also contribute to monitoring processes of UN and European conventions.

MMS: You have mentioned several national platforms. Are you also involved in international networks to promote sexual rights and counteract anti-SRHR-movement?

SR: SANTE SEXUELLE SUISSE is an accredited member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and in this role we advocate for sexual rights on the national and international level. We are also partner of Countdown 2030 Europe, a Consortium under the lead of IPPF European network, which brings together 15 national and Brussels-based non-governmental organisations, working in 12 European countries and with the EU institutions to count down with European governments to 2030 and ensure that sexual and reproductive health and family planning are a funding priority for European donors and a policy priority in Europe and globally. Last but not least we also closely collaborate with the European Parliamentary Forum for sexual and reproductive rights (EPF), since our parliamentary group for sexual health and rights is member of this parliamentary network.

MMS: You have mentioned different ways to counteract anti-SRHR movement in Switzerland by conveying the right message to different stakeholders and to take part in pro-SRHR movements. Is there anything else which needs to be done?

SR: We have been talking a lot about counter-acting. However, we think that it is important that we go beyond counteracting and that we take over a proactive role and set the agenda inspired by our visions. I can give you an example. We have celebrated last year the 20^th anniversary of abortion legislation. For us, it was time to go a step further and critically review the legal situation. Therefore, our president of SANTE SEXUELLE SUISSE, MP Léonore Porchet, has submitted June 2^nd 2022 a parliamentary initiative, which claims to remove abortion from the Swiss penal code because the regulation in the penal code creates a barrier and contributes to stigmatisation. The European Parliamentary Forum for sexual and reproductive rights (EPF) has produced the so-called abortion atlas, an advocacy tool which scores European countries with regards to access to abortion services. When your are consulting this abortion atlas, you can see that Switzerland is lacking behind. It actually indicates clearly that Switzerland does not belong to the progressive countries. Therefore, it is time to proactively set the agenda which means: To review the 20-years old legislation, as well as access to abortion and existing barriers and finally implement the WHO-guidelines on abortion from 2022, which are very clear about the need to fully decriminalize abortion and remove barriers to enable self-determination and safe abortion.

When your are consulting this abortion atlas, you can see that Switzerland is lacking behind. It actually indicates clearly that Switzerland does not belong to the progressive countries. Therefore, it is time to proactively set the agenda which means: To review the 20-years old legislation, as well as access to abortion and existing barriers and finally implement the WHO-guidelines on abortion from 2022 (...).