Israel Women’s Network chairperson Rina Bar-Tal submitted the report on women in Israel to the UN.
Hebrew daily “Yediot Ahronot” reports that discrimination against Israeli women has reached the UN. A report on the dismal situation of women in Israel in 2005, written by the Israel Women’s Network, was submitted to the UN yesterday by Israel Women’s Network chairperson Rina Bar-Tal, as part of the Sixth UN International Women's Conference.
The Israeli report was one of many reports on the status of women in 134 countries. The Israeli report included data on poverty, education, violence, power centers, and the media. Minister of Education Limor Livnat was the senior Israeli delegate at the conference's discussions held after the Israeli and other reports were submitted.
The Israeli report included the following figures:
- 16% of Israeli women up to the age of 15 live below the poverty line.
- 28% of single-parent families live below the poverty line.
- 96% of Israeli schoolbooks include stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination against women.
- 130,000 Israeli women aged 25-40 were sexually harassed at work at least once during the past year.
- Women comprise 64% of government employees, but only hold 38% of senior positions.
- Only 15% of Members of Knesset are women.
- No woman has ever served as Speaker of the Knesset.
- Only nine women have headed local councils in Israel since independence in 1948.
- 6,000 women are imported to Israel every year as prostitutes.
Bar-Tal said in response to the report's findings that the road to equality between men and women was still long, and that gender gaps in Israel, especially in salaries, were among the highest in the world.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on March 2, 2005