Women’s Representation in the Knesset, Government and Local Municipalities; Teachers’ Organizations; Decision Making Positions
Achievements and Impact
- Supporting women’s campaigns to be elected for political positions
- Women’s Parliament is continuously involved in supporting women’s campaigns to be elected for political positions on the local and national level. It has promoted the public recognition of the need to establish budgeted women’s divisions in the local municipalities. (the first and only one has been established in Hertzliya, to which Hen and Shin contributed significantly).
- Zipi Livni – Women’s Parliament has supported Zipi Livni (who won the elections) in her elections’ campaign to become the prime minister and in the recent primaries in Kadima.
- Colette Avital – Initiating the campaign of women’s candidacy for presidency which resulted in Colette Avital’s announcement of her candidacy for presidency.
- Support of the teachers’ struggles – The Women’s Parliament was the only women’s organization that expressed continuous support of the teachers’ (most of whom are women) struggles to improve their working conditions and salaries. It supported Yafa Ben David, the woman candidate for the teachers’ organization’s leadership in the 2006 elections of the teachers’ union. The Women’s Parliament supported Anat Shneider’s struggle against Ofek Chadash’s working agreement. In the last elections of the Teachers’ Union, that took place last April, Women’s Parliament supported and assisted Gila Klein in her campaign for leading the organization, opposing Yossi Wasserman. As a result of this decisive support the relationships with Friedrich Ebert Foundation ended (as the steering committee was not ready to give up this support and position).
WP Session 2017
Opening Municipal Election Year in Shefa-’Amr: Calling for Women’s Representation
The 96th session of Women Parliament was held on November 10th, 2017 at Shefa-’Amr, in the presence of Shefa-’Amr mayor Amin Anabtawi, Sakhnin mayor and head of Arab municipality committee Mazin G’Nayem, Dalyiat al-Karmel’s head of local council Rafik Halabi, coordinator of Women Parliament Prof. Esther Hertzog and more distinguished people.
The session was focused on Arab women’s representation for the upcoming municipal elections in collaboration with the Shefa-’Amr mayor’s gender advisor, Badiaa Chnefes, and with the chairwoman of the gender advisors’ association, Anat Livnat.
Click here for an article that was published in “Bokra.net” (in Arabic) on November 2017 >>
Click here for an article that was published in “panet.co.il” (in Arabic) on November 2017 >>
Click here for the session’s broadcast in Panet website >>
WP Sessions 2015
Women in the 2015 elections
The 87th session took place in February 22nd 2015 in Burgata.
Opening words – Professor Esther Hertzog – coordinator of Women’s Parliament
Moderator – Ella Gera, former deputy head of Kfar Shmaryahu Local Council and CEO of the Israel Women’s Lobby
Panel of candidates in the elections for the 20th Knesset – with the participation of:
Nava Boker, the Likud
Michal Biran, the Zionist Union
Yifat Kariv, Yesh Atid
Michal Rozin, Meretz
Panel of women leaders in local politics – with the participation of:
Hedva Yehezkeli, Deputy Mayor of Hadera
Israela Rozen, former Deputy Mayor of Kfar Yona
Rachel Balali, deputy head of the Pardesiya Local Council
Ofra Barak, candidate for head of the Hefer Valley Regional Council in the 2013 elections
Electing and elected
The 88th session took place in March 8th 2015 in Bar Ilan University.
A discussion about women’s vote: How to strengthen the influence of women’s representation and their agendas in the political parties? How does women’s leadership in the political parties influence women’s representation and their voting patterns?
Greetings:
Professor Yaffa-Berlovitz, chairwoman of the Association of Feminist and Gender Studies
Liron Ben-Yaakov, spokeswoman for Women’s Parliament
Dr. Janan Faraj-Falah, Arab College for Education – Haifa, Haifa University, advisors’ association
Words in memory of the late Nadia Hilou – Michal Zeevi, executive at SHIN
First session: Women’s vote – moderator: Meli Polishook-Bloch
Opening words – MK Zehava Gal-On, chairwoman of Meretz
Panelists:
MK Gila Gamliel, the Likud, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset
MK Yifat Kariv, Yesh Atid
MK Michal Biran, the Zionist Union
Maysam Jaljuli, chairwoman of Na’amat in the Lower Triangle region, and a candidate for the Joint List
Michal Zernowitski, No Voice No Vote
MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, Yesh Atid
Ruth Colian, U’Bizchutan
MK Shuli Mualem, the Jewish Home
Second session: women’s vote through research and the media
How do women vote? Presenting a research about women’s voting patterns and presencing the gender gap in the elections – Professor Hanna Herzog, Tel-Aviv University
“The three vaybers”, presenting a research about the media coverage of the women leaders of political parties: Zehava Gal-On, Tzipi Livni and Shelly Yachimovich, in the 2012 elections – Dr. Dalia Liran Alper, the College of Management Academic Studies
Representing Arab women: challenges and opportunities – Dr. Taghreed Yahya-Younis, political sociologist, Tel-Aviv University
Feminine leadership through the media – Shahar Gur, manager, IFAT Media Analysis
Elected women representatives + women advisors = the power to make a change
The 89th session took place in July 1st 2015 in Hadera.
Topic: cooperation between women advisors and elected women representatives
This cooperation will empower women and their ability to contribute to women in society and to society as a whole
Greetings:
Hedva Yehezkeli, Deputy Mayor of Hadera
Vered Swid, General Director of the High Authority for the Advancement of Women
Shula Agami, advisor on the advancement of women at the Union of Local Authorities
Sara Gubes, the chairwoman of Hadera’s Women’s Council
Anat Livnat, chairwoman of the advisors’ association, advisor on the advancement of the status of women in the Bat-Yam municipality
Gila Klein, chairwoman of the Nachal faction at the Teachers’ Union
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – the importance of cooperation” – Aviel Abramovich, business coach, member of Hod-Hasharon City Council
Cultural pause: Monologues about life – featuring:
Revital Fouks, advisor on the advancement of the status of women in Hadera
Ibtisam Mahameed, advisor on the advancement of the status of women in Faradis
Gaby Lasky, member of Tel-Aviv City Council and chairwoman of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women
Lea Fadida, member of Yokneam City Council and chairwoman of Yokneam’s Women’s Council
Nana Chen, member of Or-Yehuda Council and chairwoman of the Regional Women’s Council, Bikat Ono
Nesya Strasburg, advisor on the advancement of the status of women in Kfar-Saba
Moderators:
Nava Shlomovich-Gilad, council member and advisor in Alona Regional Council
Dr. Israela Ben-Asher, secretary of the association of the advisors on the advancement of the status of women
WP Session 2014
Who needs an advisor on the status of women?
The 84th session was hosted in Western Galilee College in November 6th 2014.
Musical intro with Hagit Kalish
Greetings:
Moshe Davidovitch, CEO of Mateh Asher Regional Council
Nili Alon, advisor to the head of the regional council on the status of women
Nehama Dichne, member of the Women’s Parliament Advisory Committee
Ofra Elkayam-Cohen, chairwoman of Na’amat, Upper Galilee region
A discussion on the topic of: The position of the women advisors on the status of women
The law of women advisors in the municipal authorities from 2000, and the amendment to the law of women advisors in the municipal authorities from 2008 – Dr. Israela Ben-Asher.
Crises and achievements in the work of women advisors on the status of women in the municipal authorities
Nili Alon, advisor in the Mateh Asher Regional Council and deputy chairwoman of the advisors’ association since 2010
Dr. Janan Falah, advisor on the status of women of the Arab sector in Acre
Anat Livnat, advisor in the Bat-Yam municipality and chairwoman of the advisors’ association
The political and social importance of the advisor’s role in the Western Galilee and in general
Yoram Israeli, head of Mateh Asher Regional Council
Shula Agami, , director for the advancement of women, Union of Local Authorities
We demand to appoint a woman advisor
Dina David from Carmiel, Efrat Gazit from Misgav Regional Council,
Nadia Hamdan, chairwoman of Na’amat, Central Galilee region
How to promote the appointment of women advisors, strengthen their position and enlarge the resources at their disposal?
Vered Swid, General Director of the High Authority for the Advancement of Women
MK Ifat Kariv, former director at the Union of Local Authorities
Call for action
Illana Shoshan
WP Session 2013: A revolution in women’s representation in Herzliya
The 78th session was hosted in Herzliya in October 13th 2013.
Meeting the women who run for mayor, women who are heads of lists and are candidates for city council
Greetings:
Mayor of Herzliya, Mr. Yonatan Yasur
Chairwoman of Women’s Parliament, Professor Esther Hertzog
Moderator: Yona Markovitch, Attorney (previously, chairwoman of the HEN – Women of Herzliya – Association)
From leadership to headship – Deputy Mayor, Ms. Tova Raphael – director of the first leadership class
Personal story – Representative of the women’s leadership class graduates, Ms. Aliza Kahana
Introducing the candidates:
Candidates for mayor – Michaela Zeidner, Yaffa Yeger, Orit Rishpi
Heads of lists for city council – Ofra Bell, Maya Katz
Women in primary positions in each list:
Liat Timor – No. 2 in Yonatan Yasur’s list / Aya Prishkolnik – No. 2 in Moshe Fadlon’s list / Liat Keren – No. 2 in Yaron Olami’s list / Ofra Carmi – No. 3 in Amos Ron’s list / Iris Etgar – No. 3 in Zvika Hadar’s list / Liza Goldberg – No. 3 in Shmuel Sa’adia’s list / Shlomit Lifshitz – No. 3 in Dror Ezra’s list / Amalia Elbaz – No. 5 in Zvi Weiss’s list
(The candidates will be introduced by the women’s leadership classes graduates that are on their lists)
WP Sessions 2011
Women, Leadership, Education, Science and Society
The first session in 2011 focused on Women, leadership, education, science and society. It took place in February in Kiryat Shmona, and was hosted by Nissim Malka, mayor of Kiryat Shmona. It was organized with the cooperation of women’s councils in town and in Katzrin, and with Migel (socio-economic development of the Galilee) and Naamat. Smadar Dahan, Migel’s director, convened the event. The panelists were: Dr. Linda Efroni, Gila Klein, Leah Erlich, Irit Sason, Idit Kimchi. Ruti Krik and Meira Tsadok performed a few songs.
The event took place on the background of a severe conflict between the Women’s Parliament and Friedrich Ebert Foundation, following Yossi Wasserman’s (head of the teachers’ union) intervention, blaming the Parliament for publicly supporting Gila Klein in the elections that were about to take place. The Parliament was demanded to add Wasserman’s representatives to the panel and to replace the convener.
The speakers emphasized the irritating situation, in which although most of the employees are women the heads and directors are men. This unbearable phenomenon is particularly conspicuous in the teachers’ union, which was never headed by a woman since its foundation some 107 years ago. The failure of the union, so it was suggested, was reflected time after time in reforms that are assumed to improve teachers’ wages and working conditions while doing the opposite. Women’s empowerment also came up, through personal examples, in relation to school principals, mothers and science students.
Foundations and Social Change in Israel
The forth session dealt with the issue of foundations and social change in Israel. The session took place in September in Hertzliya, and was hosted by Yael German, the mayor, and was attended by MP Daliah Itzik, head of Kadima party in the Knesset. Birya Granot, mayor’s advisor on women’s issues and Orna Sadgat-Erez, head of the women’s division, cooperated in organizing the event. Gal Gabay, a journalist, convened the discussion and the panelists were: Prof. Naomi Hazan, Adv. Yona Markowitz, Lili Ben Ami and Kolette Avital. Liron choir offered a musical performance.
This session took place on the background of the Women Parliament’s grave experience with the Friedrich Ebert foundation, following its support in Gila Klein (in the teachers union’s elections in April). The growing criticism of right wing groups against the New Foundation for Israel and against funds from overseas organizations also stirred the heated gathering.
The heavy prices paid by the Israeli society, as a result of the wide infiltration of many foundations’ into crucial social services, were described. Some of the speakers pointed to the growing threat on the state’s responsibility for providing services to its citizens. Women’s struggles for political representation, so it was argued, pay a heavy price in terms of their ability to support women-candidates for political positions. The funds’ condition for funding women’s organizations is that they will not be involved in political campaigns. It was clarified that Women’s Parliament is ready to pay the price of loosing financial support if it is prevented from realizing its raison d’etre: to enhance gender equality, in the political sphere as in any other.
WP Sessions 2009
Women and Leadership – Beyond the Glass Walls
The 60th session took place in October 2009, in Jerusalem. This festive event of 10 years of the Women’s Parliament activity was hosted by the mayor, Nir Barkat. Nesia Shtrasburg convened the event and Dalia Noiman, Merav Betito and Iman Kassem (journalists) convened the three sessions. The festive day’s program started with a tour in the streets and neighborhoods of Jerusalem, guided by “Jerusalem’s women do tourism in the city”. Later on an exhibition on “women in the new Jerusalem” was launched next to the city hall. Three sessions were carried out, following which a dinner was provided. Eti Ankri’s performance closed the special event.
The discussions focused on women’s impact on Israeli society’s character and the processes it goes through; on the relationships between various women’s sectors: their separate and combined strengths; on women’s influence on the socio-political-economic situation, through their grass-roots’ activities and as holding higher positions in the political sphere; on the attitudes and actions of men in power centers, with regard to the gendered glass ceiling.
Women – Elections – Results
The 56th session took place in Hertzliya in March 2009. The event was hosted by Yael German, the mayor. Merav Michaeli (a journalist) convened the discussion and the panelists were: Yael German; Rina Bar Tal (head of the Women’s Caucus); MP Gila Gamliel (Likud); Eyal Arad (political advisor); MP Hannin Zuabi (Balad); Prof. Esther Hertzog (Women’s Parliament coordinator). Zipi Livni, head of Kadima and winner of the general elections (9 February) which took place just one month before the Women Parliament’s event, was the guest speaker. She came to thank the Parliament for its support. Livni acknowledged the significant support she had from women and confessed her initial reluctance to relate to women’s issues during her campaign. She recounted how she eventually realized the role of gender in the campaign led against her by her opponents.
The discussion focused on the issue of women’s collective support in women’s candidateship for political positions. The panelists elaborated on questions like: is it possible to organize women’s collective support for women? Should women’s issues be stressed in women’s campaigns or should women-candidates, rather, present a non-gendered agenda? German told the audience that women’s support was crucial in winning the first time she was elected to mayorship (1999). Some of Zipi Livni’s success was also attributed, to women’s support. However, Livni’s experience exposed the tremendous difficulty to recruit women’s collective support, because of women’s contrasting political affiliations.
WP Sessions 2008
Women-Teachers to Political Leadership – on Education, Women and Politics
The third session took place in Kfar Saba in January 2008, and was hosted by Yehuda Ben-Chamo, the mayor. Linoy Bar-Gefen conveyed the discussion and the panelists were: Dr. Linda Efroni (economist and advocate), Chadija Taha (high-school headmaster), Tal Kogman (ex member of the city council), Drorit Neder-Lilian (high-school headmaster) and Anat Shneider (Math teacher in Junior-high school).
The session took place a short time after the teachers’ long strike, in which they protested against the “ofek Chadash” reform, has ended. The speakers criticized the heads of the teachers’ organizations for their failure in negotiating the agreement with the representatives of the education and finance ministries. They emphasized that although the struggle enjoyed unexpected public support it failed to gain concrete achievements. Women-teachers were called to enter the political sphere where they can gain professional achievements as well as improve the education system. Anat Shneider, who described the intimidations she suffered from the heads of the teachers’ union because she dared to encourage teachers to resist the enforcement of the agreement, enjoyed a wide support from the audience.
The local elections from women’s point of view
The sixth session took place in August 2008, in Ganei Tikva. Liat Arbel (advisor on business development) moderated the event and the panelists were: Yael German (mayor of Hertzlyia), Ya’akov Sabag (candidate for mayorship in Kiryat Ono), Chedva Yechezkeli (candidate for mayorship in Chadera), Mali Pinto (candidate for mayorship in Ganei Tikva), Nana Chen (candidate for mayorship in Or-Yehuda) and Iris Avraham (candidate for mayorship in Givata’im).
The Women’s Parliament took place at the eve of the local elections and it aimed at raising the public awareness to the potential of women’s divisions in the local councils. The first and only women’s division that exists in Hertzlyia (the outcome of Hen’s and Shin’s ongoing activity in the city) was presented as a model to be followed. Some of the questions that were raised were: what are the differences between women’s division and women’s council? Should a candidate reveal or conceal the gender perspective in her campaign? Do women candidates offer any advantages from the perspective of advancing “women’s” spheres, such as education?
WP Sessions 2006
Dovrat’s report, the economic policy and teachers’ status
The Parliament gathering took place in January 2006 in Ra’anana under the auspices of its mayor, Nchum Chofri. Adv, Ada Ravon convened the discussion and the panelists were: Yael German, Irit Zehavi, Yaffa Ben-David, Dr. Dalia Liran-Alper, Barbara Swirski, Ofra Donski and Dr. Linda Efroni.
The session took place on the eve of the teachers’ union elections and the organizers were threatened by the heads of the teachers’ union, who demanded to postpone the event. They tried to prevent Yaffa Ben-David, who competed over the role of the union’s head, from appearing on the panel. The discussants criticized the teachers’ union for not being run properly and for its poor representation of teachers’, most of whom are women, interests. The ongoing economic policy was criticized for deteriorating the situation of the educational system and of teachers, namely of women. Also, it was suggested that the implementation of some of the recommendations included in Dovrat report could be worthwhile for women.
Social security: Socio-economic principles of the Feminist Organizations Coalition for the 2006 elections
The Parliament gathering in March 2006. It was hosted by Effi Shtanzler, the mayor of Givata’ym. Gal Gabai convened the discussion. The organizations’ positions were presented by: Ilana Afllalo-Peretz, Maya Saifan, Hannah Beit-Halachmi, Yehudit Oppenheimer, Ruti Gur and Tal Kremmer-Vadai. Dr. Marin Solodkin, Shelly Yechimovitz, Leah Ness, Ran Cohen, Yuri Shtern and Asma Agabria presented some of the parties participating in the elections.
The Feminist organizations’ representatives presented the basic agenda of the coalition and its demands of all political candidates in issues such as: violence against women, employment, representation in conflict resolution processes etc. They called on them to commit themselves to promote these issues when and if they become Parliament members.
Leah Ness, who represented the Likud, was badly criticized by the audience for Netanyahu’s anti-social policies.
Electing a woman to presidency
The session that took place in august 2006 in Hertzelia, under the auspices of the mayor Yael German. Adv. Dana Savorai convened the event and panelists were: Ran Melamed, Lili Galili, Dr. Aliza Lavie, Shula Keshet, Yael German and Prof. Emanuel Marx.
This gathering of the Women’s Parliament was initiated with the aim of starting a campaign for electing a woman to be the first woman president in Israel. Six candidates were presented: MP Kolet Avital, Prof. Naomi Chazan, Prof. Chana Safrai, Esther Eilam, Ruth Reznik and Prof. Rina Shapira. They were described as having conspicuous merits, both in terms of professional excellence and their commitment to social change and gender equality. It was said that everyone and each of them would probably bring another atmosphere and new initiatives to the institution of Israeli presidency, one that entails human and equal approach to all. It was also suggested that under the current circumstances in which the president is accused of sexual harassment, it seems that replacing him by a woman will clearly bring a more respectful attitude to women.
WP Sessions 2004
Leadership – The Feminist Perspective
The session took place in September 2004, in Beit Berl College. This gathering marked 5 years of the Women’s Parliament activity, and thus it was structured differently, with 3 panels, discussion groups and a festive meal and get-together. The convenors of the panels were: Hanna Beit Halahmi, Dr. Hanna Safran and adv. Claris Harboun. The speakers were: Prof. Alice Shalvi, Raghda Masalha, Merri Menuskin, Nurit Tazazo, Dr. Rivka Nardi, Smadar Sinai, Tal Kogman, Rivka Shaked, Salima Bshara, Hanna Kehat, Nabila Espanioli, Dr. Varda Granot and adv. Neta Amar. The workshops were convened by Goldy Koren, Anhar Masalha, Esther Eilam, Oranit Levi-Spector. In the final session the speakers were Dr. Linda Efroni and Yael German.
The 30th gathering of the Parliament focused on leadership in the gendered context. The speakers raised fundamental questions, from both theoretical and empirical angles about differences between male and female styles and characteristics of leadership; about the meaning and essence of feminine leadership as compared to women’s leadership. The presenters suggested that leadership skills develop in relation to social environment and gendered educational conditioning. Some basic doubts were shed on the likelihood that advisors to city mayors on women’s issues can make a change for women and influence the authorities to invest in gender equality. The potential threat that leading women can pose to the existing power structures was connected to the expectation that feminist leadership should address injustices in the ethnic and national contexts, as well as the socio-economic.
A Feminist Perspective on the Mergers in of Local Municipalities
The session took place in March 2004, in Daliat El-Carmel. Dr. Esther Hertzog convened the debate and the speakers were: Orit Rishpi, Su’ad Abu Rukon, Israela Rozen, Ibitssam Abu-Hamad, Orit Zuaretz and Abir Halabi.
The presentations revealed a basic dispute. Some considered the Ministry of Interior’s plan to for mergers of local municipalities as a promising reform, which entails an improvement of services offered to citizens. Others suggested that more than economizing the management of the combined municipalities the merge-in entails a potential danger for democracy. It was emphasized that the implementation of the plan in Daliat El-Karmel caused the firing of many female employees. All agreed that the plan was implemented only in politically and socially weaker municipalities, where opposition did not count.
WP Sessions 2003
The 2003 Elections – from a Feminist Perspective
The session took place in December 2002 in Tel Aviv. Merav Alush Lev-Ron convened the discussion. On the panel were: Dr. Linda Efroni, Nadia Hilu, Hadas Shakhnai, Yehudit Shilat, and Dr. Vicki Shiran (who passed away on March 2004). This gathering discussed the issue of women’s participation and representation in political systems in Israel. Among the topics discussed were the causes and mechanisms of women’s political exclusion, and the manners in which this grave situation can be transformed; the various aspects of banning the elections, as a means to change the gendered political structure in Israel; the significance and manners in which we can develop women’s solidarity.
Why only Two? Women’s Representation in Municipal Government
The session took place in March, 2003 in Tira. Haniya Shbeita convened the discussion. On the panel were: Yael German, Ibtissam Mahamid, Hedva Yehezkeli, Zohaia Azab, Dr. Esther Hertzog.
Women’s representation in municipal government was discussed from various angles. The minimal, close to zero, rate of Arab women on local councils was emphasized in particular. The discussants elaborated on tactics to overcome the impossible difficulties and obstacles on women’s attempts to break through the barriers on their way to decision making centers.
WP Session 2001: Who is the boss? Local versus central government – from a feminist perspective
The fourth Parliament gathering took place on the 4th of May 2001 in Hertzlia under the auspices of Yael German. The presenters criticized the extensive control of the central government over the local government and argued that a much greater responsibility and independence should be allowed to be exercised by the latter.
The speakers were:
- Prof. Galia Golan, from the center of interdisciplinary studies in Hertzlia.
- Yael German, the mayor.
- Michal Rave, a journalist in Globs.
- Edna Rudrig, vice mayor in upper Nazareth.
- Chedva Yechezkeli, a council member in Chadera town municipality.
- Israela Rozen, a council member in Kfar Yona local municipality.
- Gabi Bar Zakai, vice mayor in Maale Edomim.
- Rachel Balleli, a member in Hertzlia town council, was the convener