Project lead
Anne-Valérie Zuber (Université de Neuchâtel)
Abstract
In 1971, as women secured the right to vote in Switzerland, a so-called “second wave”[1] of feminism began challenging gender norms and traditional activism. This research focuses on the women’s liberation movement (WLM) in the Jura Arc (comprising Neuchâtel, Jura, Bernese Jura, and Biel) during the 1970s and 1980s. It aims to uncover feminist networks and activities in this peripheral region, particularly their engagement with labor movements, such as the Dubied and Bulova strikes in Neuchâtel in 1976, and separatist movements, including the creation of the canton of Jura (1974-1979). The primary goal of this research is to understand how feminists operated beyond urban centers and how their interests intersected with other movements. How did the women's movement develop in the Jura Arc? How did local, national, and even global perspectives intertwine? What effects did this have on the trajectories of local activists? Drawing on the socio-history of social movements[2], the “ethno-historical” investigation[3] is based, in particular, on oral history interviews and numerous private archives kept by former activists.
Starting in 1974 in the Jura Arc, women began to organize outside traditional political channels. They formed non-mixed, autonomous groups to campaign for liberalizing abortion[4], childcare solutions[5], improved maternity protection[6], and women's centers[7]. These groups operated under various names based on their region and ideological alignment (e.g., MLF/FBB, Femmes en Lutte, Groupe femmes). While they identified as part of a national movement and adopted transnational elements, each group developed unique characteristics influenced by the local context, as has been shown on numerous occasions in the historiography of the women's movement, although in Switzerland, this has mainly focused on urban centers such as Geneva, Zurich or Bern[8].
The Jura Arc, situated on Switzerland's northwestern border, can be considered a peripheral region, affected by a variety of tensions. This makes it an ideal setting for examining the intersectionality of oppressions and how the WLM in this region perceived and addressed this intersectionality. In this sense, this project challenges conventional timelines of the women's movement through two key themes:
- Feminism with a Class Struggle Focus: The Jura Arc, known for its watchmaking industry, faced significant restructuring in this period, leading to factory closures and layoffs. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, feminists engaged in solidarity with workers, participating in strikes and extending their involvement in women's committees within trade unions, fighting not only for equal pay, but also against night work. This was also pursued in the 1991 Women’s Strike, which included actions in public services and shops.
- Institutionalization of Feminism and Professionalization of Activists: The institutionalizing of women's issues in the 1980s was particularly acute in the Jura, driven by the creation of a new canton and the first Office for Equality of Switzerland, which was controversial amongst feminist networks[9]. Women activists leveraged their experiences to build professional careers within this new administrative framework, striving to implement their ideals in their professional roles.
Now starting a second year of research, this project aims to bring a contribution to WLM’s historiography by setting light on complex relationships between activists in and outside the feminist groups during the 1970s and 1980s. Focusing on a peripheral region, it sheds light on the actions and networks of feminists in a less-urbanized context. It argues that this micro-history of the interrelations between the women’s and worker’s movement, as well as controversies inside the activist groups and the new challenges faced by institutionalized women’s rights offices, challenged the definition of the “women” that are the object of liberation in “second-wave” feminisms.
[1] Pavard Bibia, « Faire naître et mourir les vagues : comment s’écrit l’histoire des féminismes », Itinéraires (2017‑2), 10.03.2018.
[2] Fillieule Olivier, Béroud Sophie, Masclet Camille et al. (éds.), Changer le monde, changer sa vie: enquête sur les militantes et les militants des années 1968 en France, Arles, Actes sud, 2018 ; Péchu Cécile, Chevillard Julien, Gottraux Philippe et al., « De nouveaux mouvements sociaux durant les années 1968 ?Penser la structuration localisée des engagements “soixante-huitards” en Suisse », Revue française de science politique 69 (2), Paris, 2019, pp. 249‑279. En ligne: <https://doi.org/10.3917/rfsp.692.0033> ; Pereira Nuno et Schär Renate, « Soixante-huitards helvétiques. Étude prosopographique », Le Mouvement Social (239), 07.05.2012, pp. 9‑23.
[3] Masclet Camille, « La quête des féministes », Geneses n° 95 (2), 09.09.2014, pp. 120‑135.
[4] MLF Neuchâtel, tract Avortement – Contraception, 1974-5. Fonds Privé ME.
[5] Femmes en Lutte Bienne, brochure Crèches, congés de maternité, chômage des femmes, janvier-mars 1975. Fonds Privé MTS.
[6] Groupe Femmes Delémont, EtinCelles, 1977.
[7] MLF La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Chrysalide, journal du centre femmes, 1977.
[8] Dardel Julie de, Révolution sexuelle et Mouvement de libération des femmes à Genève (1970-1977), Lausanne, EdAntipodes, 2007 (Histoire). En ligne: <https://slsp-unine.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/41SLSP_UNE/128g5ca/alma991003759979705517> ; Villiger Carole, « Notre ventre, leur loi! » : le mouvement de libération des femmes de Genève, Editions Alphil, Neuchâtel, 2009.
[9] Zuber Anne-Valérie et Hürlimann Timy, « Le bureau de la condition féminine dans le Jura : institutionnalisation d’un mouvement social inédit », Actes de la Société jurassienne d’émulation (2021), 2022, pp. 121‑133.
Discipline
Contemporary History
Supervision
Prof. Dr. Kristina Schulz (Université de Neuchâtel)
Prof. Dr. Sylvie Chaperon (Université de Toulouse)
