Equal rights between the sexes is enshrined in Israel's Declaration of Independence and supported by extensive legislation. However, discriminatory practices against women still persist in nearly every sphere of Israeli life: the workplace, the Israel Defense Forces, religious courts, health services and educational establishments—even in the public service arena.
Despite legislation mandating equal pay for equal work, the average wage gap between men and women for full time, year-round employment exceeds 30 percent.
Even more basic, women unable to find employment in Israeli society cannot financially assist in supporting their families, oftentimes resulting in a critically low standard of living, and trapping them in a cycle of poverty. For those who can find employment, most are confined to labor intensive and low-paying occupations. If fact, over 70 percent of the minimum wage earners in Israel are women. These are statistics from the general population. Immigrant women have an even harder time securing employment and have the least access to training opportunities.
Building a new life in Israel is especially challenging for immigrants from underdeveloped parts of the world, such as Ethiopia and Bukhara. Beyond acculturation and language difficulties, many of these women have no previous work experience outside the home and are unaccustomed to a modern market economy and Israeli social norms. Without intensive assistance, especially in the context of today's environment, they will remain on the fringes of Israel's workforce—and society.
The Knesset, the Israeli government, the Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Woman, and numerous NGOs are acting to improve conditions for poor women and families. At the Jewish Agency, we have implemented a number of programs to empower Israeli women from different ethnic, cultural, religious and social-economic backgrounds, including:
