According to forecasts published by the institute gsf.bern and other media, the Swiss voted to raise the retirement age for women to 65, AFP and Agerpres reported. According to forecasts published by 13.00 (11.00 GMT), “Yes” won with 51%.

Residents of Bern, Switzerland ride inflatable boats on the Aare RiverPhoto: BACKGRID / Backgrid UK / Profimedia

Instead, another initiative aimed at banning intensive animal breeding was flatly rejected, with 63% of votes against.

After two failed attempts in 2004 and 2007, Byrne struggled to muster enough votes to “stabilize” the welfare system, under enormous pressure in the context of rising life expectancies and the retirement age of baby boomers.

The most controversial part of the reform would require women, like men, to work until age 65 before retirement, a year longer than now.

Last year, parliament approved key pension reform measures that also include a VAT increase (passed by 56% on Sunday), but left-wing parties and unions condemned the reform as “on the backs of women” and forced a referendum.

Opponents of the reform pointed to wage discrimination that continues to affect women and assessed the unfairness of raising the retirement age for them without first addressing this inequality.

Yes supporters said it was unreasonable to ask women to work an extra year, given the economic and demographics.

According to the Swiss Ministry of Economy, women in Switzerland received almost 35% lower pensions than men in 2020.

According to forecasts, the French-speaking cantons voted against the reform, while the German-speaking cantons voted for it.

A proposal to ban intensive animal breeding, which would have led to the elimination of industrial farms in the still very rural country, although agriculture does not make up a large part of the national wealth, was rejected by a unanimous vote.

The government, parliament and representative organizations of breeders strongly opposed the initiative.

Under current law, farms cannot grow more than 1,500 pigs, 27,000 chickens for meat or 300 calves, unlike huge industrial farms in other countries. Bern also threatened that the new rules would lead to significant price increases.