Despite being praised as a model for direct democracy, universal women's suffrage did not exist in Switzerland until 1990.
Switzerland is divided into twenty-six cantons, administrative divisions similar to states or provinces. In the middle of the 20th century, the women's suffrage movement began to gain momentum, and the cantons of Switzerland gradually began to recognize female voting.
Appenzell Innerrhoden, the smallest populated canton, was the last of them to allow to women to vote. The federal court made this decision on November 27th, 1990. It's pretty strange that until twenty-two years ago, such a praised example of direct democracy was missing something we see as very important now. Wouldn't it be weird if you couldn't vote?
