Swiss voters reject mandatory national service for women and new inheritance tax

GENEVA — Swiss voters on Sunday decisively rejected a call to require women to do national service in the military, civil protection teams or other forms, as men must do already.

In a referendum, over 84% of voters rejected the “citizen service initiative” and none of the country's 26 cantons, or states, came anywhere near voting in favor. Proposals need a majority of both voters and cantons to pass.