Published on 14 August 2025

The Charter in brief

Since 2016, the Confederation, cantons and communes can sign the Charter for equal pay, affirming their commitment to professional equality. State-associated organisations have been able to sign up since 2019. In 2022, the Federal Council adopted a strategy comprising 18 measures designed to strengthen the Charter for equal pay.

The Confederation, cantons, communes and state-associated organisations serve as role models in the fight against all forms of discrimination. By signing the Charter, they commit to equal pay, both as employers and as awarding authorities for public contracts and subsidies. Signing up to the Charter is voluntary, and this joint commitment sends a powerful message to all public and private organisations.

What does the Charter for equal pay entail?

Signatories to the Charter for equal pay are committed to the following objectives:

  • Raising awareness of the Federal Act on Gender Equality (GEA) among employees who are responsible for determining salaries and for function evaluation, recruitment, training and career advancement.
  • Conducting regular analyses of compliance with equal pay in the public administration or within their own organisations, based on recognised standards.
  • Encouraging regular analyses of compliance with equal pay within state-associated organisations, based on recognised standards.
  • Enforcing equal pay in public procurement and/or when awarding subsidies by introducing control mechanisms.
  • Providing information on the concrete results of these commitments, in particular by participating in the Federal Office for Gender Equality’s (FOGE) monitoring process.

To support the signatories in their commitment, the FOGE provides information, tools and training opportunities on the issue of equal pay.

Development of the Charter for equal pay

  • In 2016, Federal Councillor Alain Berset launched the Charter for equal pay in the public sector, with the ambitious idea of uniting the Confederation, cantons and communes in the fight against pay gaps.
  • In 2018, the Charter for equal pay in the public sector and Logib, the FOGE’s equal pay analysis tool, won the United Nations Public Service Award. This award, given to public service institutions that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, recognises Switzerland’s commitment to equal pay. Each year, it honours creative and innovative initiatives by public service institutions.
  • In 2019, membership of the Charter was opened to state-associated organisations. Since then, the number of signatories has risen each year.
  • In 2022, following a postulate of the National Council Science, Education and Culture Committee (SECC-N), the Federal Council adopted a strategy to strengthen the Charter. This consists of 18 measures designed to encourage the public sector to sign up to the Charter, to facilitate dialogue between signatories and to monitor concrete progress towards equality.
  • In 2024, the committee of the Charter was formed, and the signatories’ progress was monitored. The issue of equal pay, the Charter’s primary objective, was broadened to cover professional equality in general, with the aim of encouraging the public sector to address the causes behind pay gaps.

Strategy for strengthening the Charter

The 18 measures of the strengthening strategy aim to revitalise the Charter, encourage participation by the public sector, facilitate dialogue between signatories and ensure that concrete progress towards equality is monitored.

Committee and priorities

Monitoring of the Charta

Who can sign the Charter for equal pay and how?

The Charter can be signed by authorities at all federal levels and by state-associated organisations that want to strengthen their commitment to professional equality and demonstrate this to their staff and the public.

Authorities and organisations wishing to sign the Charter for equal pay can download it here:

The signed Charter must be sent to the FOGE by email or post.

Do you have any questions about the Charter?

Dr. Oliver Schröter
Economist
T +41 58 462 75 54
oliver.schroeter@ebg.admin.ch

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