Swissness and the Untapped Potential of Women in the Workforce

Switzerland is renowned for its precision, innovation, and excellence, from iconic timepieces to cutting-edge research. Consistently ranked among the world’s most competitive economies, the country now faces a compelling opportunity: unlocking the full potential of its highly educated and experienced women.

Despite its reputation for progress, Switzerland currently stands at 26th out of 29 OECD countries on The Economist’s Glass Ceiling Index. This ranking is more than a statistic: it’s a call to action. For a country that prides itself on efficiency and excellence, fully integrating female skills and leadership strengths into the workplace is not only right, it is essential.

At the University of St.Gallen Executive School’s, we are proud to contribute to this shift through three flagship continued education initiatives. These programmes are actively shaping a new narrative by equipping women with practical skills, renewed confidence, and direct pathways they need to re-enter and thrive in the workforce and help shape Switzerland’s economic future.

Women Back to Business (CAS in Management)

Now in its 18th year, the Women Back to Business programme has supported over 500 women in re-entering the workforce through a hybrid, year-long CAS in Management designed with Swiss realities in mind:

• General Management and skills workshops tailored to the Swiss job market
• Coaching, networking, and real-world exposure
• Partnerships with employers who value non-linear CVs

This programme underscores a powerful truth: the talent is already here. What is needed are better structures of opportunity. The participants include many highly qualified professionals, including lawyers, scientists, consultants and engineers whose careers have been interrupted due to care work.

By closing this gap, Switzerland stands to benefit enormously by reducing the shortage of skilled workers, promoting innovation and fully exploiting the potential of a highly qualified section of the population.

Aiming Higher – Women’s Leadership: Elevating Mid-Career Women

For women already in the workforce, the Aiming Higher – Women’s Leadership Programme provides a seven-module online format empowering participants to grow into senior and executive leadership roles. It focuses on:

• Leadership style development
• Executive presence and negotiation
• Career planning and long-term mentoring

Participants not only deepen their competencies but also gain a strong network of peers and mentors. This programme helps women to thrive in underrepresented roles by creating space for leadership reflection, skill-building and community support, thereby bringing fresh perspectives into Swiss leadership circles.

Aiming Higher – Career Development for Female Resident Physicians

Female doctors face a unique set of challenges in Switzerland’s healthcare system. The programme Aiming Higher – Career Development for Female Resident Physicians offers structured support to early-career female physicians seeking to develop their leadership and career management skills. Through a blended learning approach designed for demanding schedules, the programme includes:

• Leadership and communication modules
• Strategies for work-life integration
• Mentoring from established medical professionals

Despite Switzerland’s excellent healthcare system, leadership roles in medicine remain disproportionately male. This programme empowers early-career female physicians to pursue their aspirations with clarity and support, helping shape a more inclusive and balanced future in healthcare leadership.

Conclusion: Swissness as a Driver of Progress

Swissness stands not only for preserving tradition, but also for thoughtful progress through innovative strength. Embracing the full integration of women into the workforce aligns with Switzerland’s core values: excellence, innovation, and resourcefulness. By creating meaningful pathways through continued education, structural reform, and employer engagement, Switzerland can turn an area of untapped potential into a powerful competitive advantage. Institutions like the University of St.Gallen are proud to help lead the way, showing that progress and Swissness are not just compatible, but inseparable.

This text reflects the opinion of the author and not that of the HSG.

Links:
Women Back to Business (CAS in Management)
Aiming Higher – Women’s Leadership Programme
Aiming Higher – Karriereentwicklung für Assistenzärztinnen