Editing Ruth Dreifuss (section)

== Political actions undertaken ==
[[File:4 pillars of Swiss drug policy.png|thumb|The 4 pillars of Switzerland's [[drug policy]]: prevention, treatment, [[harm reduction]] and repression.]]

Ruth Dreifuss held the [[Federal Department of Home Affairs (Switzerland)|Federal Department of Home Affairs]] until her resignation on 31 December 2002. She was the first woman ever to be elected [[President of the Swiss Confederation|President of the Confederation]] from 1 January to 31 December 1999.

She won several referendums, including a revision of the Health Insurance Bill, the 10th revision of the [[social security]] system, a drug policy based on prevention, therapy, help and rehabilitation, and a new law regarding the film industry and its development. The 4-pillar policy was also aimed at reducing the spread of the [[AIDS epidemic]], especially with a new policy regarding the supply of clean syringes.

She worked on a Maternity Insurance law, but since the majority of the Federal Council rejected the proposal, she had to ask the people to reject her own text, as she had to respect [[collegiality]].

She is a member and former chair of the [[Global Commission on Drug Policy]] and a member of [[International Commission Against the Death Penalty]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.lse.ac.uk/Events/2021/03/202103291300/drugs |title= Drugs and Development Policies: a discussion with the Global Commission on Drug Policy |date= 29 March 2021 |website= The London School of Economics & Political Science |access-date= 26 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.swansea.ac.uk/gdpo/gdpopeople/patron/ |title= GDPO Patron - Ruth Dreifuss |website= Swansea University |access-date= 26 October 2021}}</ref>