Conversation with Rina Nissim, Geneva, 2005

In this conversation, Rina Nissim recounts her involvement in the Swiss women’s movement beginning in 1971, inspired by North American activism. She helped establish self-help groups and one of Switzerland’s first feminist women’s health centers in 1978, emphasizing self-management: “We were trying to put the woman in a situation in which she will gain power over herself.” She also stressed equality in labor: “Whatever you are, doctor or nurse or psychotherapist, everybody was earning the same,” while offering both conventional and alternative medical treatments.

Nissim reflects on her career as a gynecologist, naturopath, and author, discussing her third book on women’s sexuality. She contextualizes this within the broader history of the women’s movement: “In the 70s many books came out. It was a period [when] women were talking quite openly about their sexuality. […] Nowadays, again, it’'s a rather taboo subject.”

Nissim notes that the women’s movement began to institutionalize, creating professional roles that shifted focus from broader social critique to individual psychological support. While this brought positive outcomes and state support, it also reduced the subversive edge of the movement and encouraged more reformist approaches within existing capitalist structures.

She observes that despite societal and economic challenges, feminist activism persists. Events like the Women’s March Against Poverty and Violence demonstrate a continuing base of engagement. Nissim underscores the ongoing inequalities women face in careers, salaries, and family responsibilities: “In Switzerland, it’s only in 2002 that we have finally gained abortion rights.”

Nissim emphasizes the importance of networks for sustaining activism, including international feminist coalitions, women’s health networks, and participation in anti-globalization forums, where women often struggle to have their voices heard in male-dominated spaces. She also details her involvement with Women in Black, an international pacifist feminist movement opposing war, nationalism, and gendered violence, with active chapters from Israel-Palestine to ex-Yugoslavia: “We refuse to be put in the position of being enemies, and we oppose together this nationalist and patriarchal discourse leading us to a war.” These movements operate under dangerous conditions, often facing threats and logistical challenges, particularly in conflict zones with checkpoints and restricted mobility.

Nissim connects her activism to her literary work, including her books on gynecology, menopause, and women’s sexuality, as well as her translation of Audre Lorde into French. She frames these publications as tools for empowerment and the dissemination of feminist knowledge.