Sandrine Salerno is a Swiss politician and a member of the Socialist Party

Social Democratic Party of Switzerland

The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....

. She is the current Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Geneva.

Background

Ms Salerno's mother was French and her father was Italian. She holds more than one passport. She has two children. She holds a master's degree in Public Administration

Public administration

Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....

 and a bachelor's degree in Political Science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

, both from the University of Geneva

University of Geneva

The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...

. She was elected to Geneva's town council in 1999 and became a member of the executive in 2007. Between 1995 and 1997, she was Deputy Chief of the European Third World Centre (CETIM) in the human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 programme. She was Co-ordinator in the Swiss Immigrants' Contact Centre from 1997 to 2001, a researcher at Geneva University from 2001 to 2006, and Deputy Head of the University Affairs unit in the Canton of Geneva

Canton of Geneva

The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the French speaking westernmost canton or state of Switzerland, surrounded on almost all sides by France. As is the case in several other Swiss cantons The Republic and Canton of Geneva is the French speaking westernmost canton or state of Switzerland,...

's Department of Education.

Office

Ms Salerno is the fourth woman to hold office as Mayor of Geneva. Her appointment as mayor is for a fixed term, from 1 June 2010 to 31 May 2011. She has revamped the regulations concerning rents and property management in the city and introduced new working conditions for city staff.

Salerno has been a longtime campaigner for maternity rights. In accordance with a legal decision on gender equality in June 2007 which resulted in an award of 120,000 Swiss franc

Swiss franc

The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...

s to the City Council "for the promotion of equality", Salerno announced in February 2008 that she would be taking maternity leave from her then post in the Geneva Department of Finance and Housing in order to bear her second child. Pierre Maudet covered for her during her confinement.