Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider to attend meeting of gender equality ministers from German-speaking countries in Vaduz
Berne, 31.08.2026 — Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider will attend a meeting of gender equality ministers from German-speaking countries in Vaduz on 31 August. This year’s gathering will focus on current gender equality challenges in the digital age, as well as how to address anti-feminist tendencies. The meeting brings together representatives from Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland.
The ‘Equality Quintet’ serves as a forum for discussing current developments and challenges in equality policy and promotes cooperation between German-speaking countries in this field. Alongside Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, this year’s meeting in Vaduz will be attended by Emanuel Schädler, Liechtenstein’s Minister for Society and Justice; Karin Prien, Germany’s Federal Minister of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth; Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Austria’s Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research; and Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence, for Gender Equality and Diversity, and for Mobility and Public Works.
At this year’s meeting, Switzerland will focus on the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy 2030, the prevention of gender-specific violence and the impact of digital transformation. Digital transformation has a wide range of implications for gender equality: for example, inequalities are evident in access to technology and digital skills. Furthermore, women are disproportionately affected by online violence, and artificial intelligence risks exacerbating discrimination.
This priority will be explored in greater depth during a series of expert-level meetings on 1 September. Stéphanie Lachat, co-director of the Federal Office for Gender Equality (FOGE), represents Switzerland at working meetings on topics such as anti-feminist movements in the digital space and the impact of artificial intelligence on gender equality.
In this context, Ms Lachat will present a study on the state of gender equality in Switzerland’s digital transformation that was published together with the Federal Chancellery in July. The report highlights that, alongside the risks they bear, digital technologies have the potential to reduce existing inequalities. At the same time, it emphasises the need to ensure that digital transformation is gender equitable.
The next meeting of the Gender Equality Quintet is due to take place in 2027 during the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York.