Women Convention – Israel third periodic reports to CEDAW

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination

against Women

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

Third periodic reports of States parties

Israel *

* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

For the initial and second periodic reports submitted by the Government of Israel, see CEDAW/C/ISR/1-2, which was considered by the Committee at its seventeenth session.

Contents

Page

Introduction	2
ARTICLE 1. Definition of Discrimination Against Women	11
1. The Constitutional Level	11
2. Equal Rights Legislation	11
3. Judicial Development of the Right to Equality	13
4. The Elimination of Discrimination in the Private Sphere	13
ARTICLE 2. Obligations to Eliminate Discrimination	14
1. Legal Provisions	14
2. Legal Recourse Available for the Pursuit of Women’s Rights	14
3. Governmental Machineries, Mechanisms and Measures Established to Promote the Status of Women	15
3.1. Investigative and Study Initiatives by the Government	15
3.2. Mechanisms Implemented for the Improvement of the Status of Women	16
3.2.1. The Authority for the Advancement of Women in Israel	16
3.2.2. The Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women	17
3.3 Governmental Performance in the Civil Service	18
3.4 Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women in Specific Government Ministries	20
3.5 Measures Taken on the Municipal Level	20
ARTICLE 3. The Development and Advancement of Women	21
ARTICLE 4. Acceleration of Equality Between Men and Women	22
1. Affirmative Action	22
1.1. Expanding Affirmative Action to Public Institutions	22
1.2. Affirmative Action in the Civil Service	23
1.3. Affirmative Action in Governmental Corporations	23
1.4. Affirmative Action in Public Corporations	24
1.5. Affirmative Action in Other Areas	24
2. Special Measures Aimed at Protecting Maternity	25
ARTICLE 5. Sex Roles and Stereotyping	26
1. Introduction	26
2. Women and Media in Israel: Ranks and Positions	26
3. Pornography	27
4. Women and Religion in Israel	28
4.1. “Women of the Wall”	28
5. Violence Against Women	29
5.1. Sexual Violence — Legal Aspects	29
5.1.1. Prevention of Sexual Harassment	31
5.1.2 Rape Law	31
5.1.3. Victims of Offences’ Rights Law — 2001	31
5.1.4. Stalking	31
5.1.5. Minimum Punishments and Protection of Witnesses	32
5.2. Family Gender-Based Violence — Legal Aspects	32
5.2.1. Recent Amendments to the Prevention of Violence in the Family Law – 1991	32
5.2.2. Other Legislative Developments	33
5.2.3. The Inter-Ministerial Committee for Treatment of Domestic Violence	34
5.3. Extent of the Phenomenon of Sexual Violence Against Women	35
5.3.1. The JDC-Brookdale Institute Survey	35
5.3.2. The Sexual Assault Help Centers Data	35
5.3.3. Police Handling of Sex Crimes Against Women	38
5.3.4. Prosecutorial Policy Regarding Sexual Violence Against Women	39
5.3.5. Sentencing for Sex Crimes	39
5.3.6. Funding of the Help Centers	39
5.4. Extent of the Phenomenon of Domestic Violence	40
5.4.1. The JDC-Brookdale Institute Survey	40
5.4.2. Police Handling of Domestic Violence	42
5.4.3. Statistical Data on Current Police Practices Regarding the Handling of Domestic Violence Cases	46
5.4.4. Sentencing for Domestic Violence	47
5.4.5. Centers for the Treatment and Prevention of Domestic Violence	48
5.4.6. “Noam Home”	48
5.4.7. Shelters for Battered Women	49
5.4.8. Hotlines	50
5.4.9. Violence Against Women within the Arab Community	50
ARTICLE 6. Suppression of the Exploitation of Women	52
1. General	52
2. The Legal Framework	52
3. Evaluation of the Actual Situation	53
4. Involvement of Minors in Prostitution	56
5. Rehabilitation Programs for Women and Girls in Distress	57
ARTICLE 7. Political and Public Life	58
1. Women in Political Life in Israel	58
2. Women’s Representation in the Knesset	58
2.1. Women as Knesset Members	59
3. Women in Government	60
4. Women in Local Authorities	60
5. Women in the Civil Service	61
5.1. Ranks of Women in the Civil Service	61
5.2. Tenders in the Civil Service	62
6. Women in Key Positions within Israel’s Economy and Public Life	62
7. The Judiciary	62
8. Government Corporations	63
9. Women in the Military	64
9.1. The Legal Framework	64
9.1.1. Implementation of the Miller Case within the Air Force and Beyond	64
9.2. Women and Men in the Military — Some Data	66
9.2.1. Women and Men Officers	66
9.2.2. Distribution of Men and Women among Jobs in the Military	67
9.2.3. Women Scientists and Engineers in the I.D.F.	67
9.2.4. Exemptions from the Military	68
9.3. The Chen — Women’s Corps	69
9.4. Sexual Harassment in the Army	70
10. Women in the Police	71
10.1. The Legal Framework	71
10.2. Women in the Police — Field Data	72
10.3. Women in the Border Police	74
10.4. Sexual Harassment within the Police Force	74
ARTICLE 8. International Representation and Participation	76
1. Women’s Representation in the Foreign Service	78
2. Women Representatives and Independent Experts in International Organizations	78
ARTICLE 9. Nationality	79
ARTICLE 10. Education	80
1. Legal Developments	80
2. Illiteracy Rates and Educational Levels	80
3. High Schools in Israel	81
3.1. General and Technological/Vocational Tracking	81
3.2. Matriculation Levels	82
3.3. Education Rates, Attendance Rates and Drop-Out Rates	84
4. Activities and Educational Programs Adopted by the Ministry of Education in order to Prevent Discrimination	86
4.1. Gender Stereotypes within School Books	86
4.2. Other Instructions and Intervention Programs of the Ministry of Education which Aim to Prevent Discrimination	86
5. Sex Education and Education on Family Life	87
6. The State Religious Education	88
7. Teachers	88
7.1. Teaching as a Feminine Profession	88
7.2. Teachers’ Salaries	89
7.3. Administrative Positions	91
7.4. Teachers Training Colleges	92
8. Physical Education and Sports	92
9. Higher Education	95
9.1. Women as Students	95
9.2. Minorities in Higher Education	98
9.3. Women on the Academic Staff	99
9.3.1. General Data	99
9.3.2. Arab-Israeli Women in the Academic Staff	102
10. Science and Technology Education for Women	102
11. The Girl-Child	103
11.1. The Adolescents and the Different Societal Systems	103
11.1.1. The Family	104
11.1.2. The School Environment	104
11.1.3. The Peer Group	105
11.2. Health Risk Behaviors and Leisure Activities	105
11.2.1. Nutrition, Eating Habits and Physical Activity	105
11.2.2. Smoking	106
11.2.3. Alcohol Use	106
11.2.4. Drug Use	106
11.2.5. Sexual Behavior Among High School Students	106
11.3. Physical and Mental Health	107
11.3.1. General Feeling and Body Image	107
11.3.2. Physical and Psychological Symptoms	108
11.3.3. Consumption of Medications	108
11.4. Injuries, Violence and Suicide	108
11.4.1. Injuries	108
11.4.2. Violence	109
11.4.3. Suicide	109
ARTICLE 11. Employment	110
1. Protection from Discrimination within the Workplace	110
2. Women’s Health and Employment	112
3. Pregnancy and Maternity Leave	113
4. Parenthood	114
5. Affirmative Action	115
6. Social Security Benefits	115
7. Employment of Women — Data and Analysis	116
7.1. Women in the Labour Market	116
7.1.1. Women’s Participation in the Workforce	116
7.2. Work Patterns	119
7.3. Unemployment	122
7.4. The Careers of Women: Levels and Salaries	123
7.4.1. Women’s Occupational Distribution and Gender Segregation	123
7.4.2. The Glass Ceiling Phenomenon	126
7.4.3. Salary and Earning Gaps	127
8. Time Use	130
9. Vocational and Professional Training for Women	132
10. Child-care	133
11. Enforcement of Employment Legislation	134
11.1. The Department of Supervision of Labor Laws of the Ministry of Labor and Welfare	134
11.2. The Department of Labor Law Enforcement	135
12. Women’s Employment among the Arab Population in Israel	135
ARTICLE 12. Equality in Access to Health Care	137
1. Introduction	137
2. Equality in Health Care	138
3. Special Health Services for Women	139
3.1. Pre/Post-Natal Services: Delivery Rooms and Maternity Wards	139
3.2. Geriatric Services	139
4. Family Planning among Israeli Women	141
4.1. Legal Abortions	141
4.2. Abortion Rates	141
5. Fertility Rates, Treatments, and Services	144
5.1. Birth Rates and Fertility Rates	144
5.2. Fertility Treatments and Services	146
6. Life Expectancy	147
7. Mortality Rates and Causes of Death	147
7.1. Infant Mortality Rates	147
7.2. Maternal Mortality Rates	148
7.3. Causes of Death	149
7.4. Breast Cancer and Mammograms	149
8. Hospitalization	149
8.1. General	149
8.2. Mental Health and Psychiatric Hospitalization	150
9. Risk Behaviors as Health Factors	150
9.1. Smoking	150
9.2. Eating Disorders	151
9.3. Violence as a Health Factor	151
10. AIDS	153
11. Women in Health Care	153
11.1. Women in Medical Schools	153
11.2. Women as Medical Personnel	154
11.3. Senior Positions for Women in the Health System	154
12. Arab Women’s Health	155
12.1. The Relationship with the Doctor Providing Treatment, Access to Services and Health Awareness	155
12.2. Mammograms in the Arab Sector	156
12.3. Other Health Data	157
ARTICLE 13. Social and Economic Benefits	158
1. Social Benefits and the Welfare State in Israel	158
1.1. Social Benefits	158
1.1.1. Maternity Insurance	159
1.1.2. Old Age and Survivors’ (Widows’) Benefits	160
1.1.3. Disability Insurance	160
1.1.4. Unemployment Benefits	160
1.1.5. Children’s Allowances	160
1.1.6. Alimony Payments	160
1.2. Poverty of Women	161
1.2.1. Single-Parent Families	161
1.2.2. Poverty among the Elderly	163
ARTICLE 14. Rural Women	164
1. Bedouin Women	164
1.1. Education	164
1.2. Employment and Welfare	166
1.3. Health	167
1.3.1. Infant Mortality	167
1.3.2. Other Health Indicators	167
1.3.3. Ritual Female Genital Operations (Female Circumcision)	168
2. Immigrant Women from Ethiopia	168
2.1. Preface	168
2.2. Education	168
2.3. Health Awareness	169
2.3.1. Ritual Female Genital Operations (Female Circumcision)	170
2.4. The Family Unit	170
2.5. Employment	171
2.5.1. Professional Job Training	171
2.5.2. Finding Employment	172
2.5.3. The Effect of the Marital Status on Employment	172
2.5.4. Professional Ambitions among Ethiopian Youth	172
3. Women with Disabilities	173
3.1. General and Legal Framework	173
3.2. General Economic and Personal Situation	174
3.3. Special Health Concerns of Women with Disabilities	176
3.4. Employment	176
ARTICLE 15. Equality before the Law and in Civil Matters	178
ARTICLE 16. Equality in Marriage and Family Life	179
1. Introduction	179
2. The Family in Israel: Some Demographic Data	179
2.1. Marriages	180
2.2. Divorces	181
3. Minimum Marital Age	183
4. Same-Sex Couples	184
5. Parents and Children	185
5.1. Child Support	185
6. New Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy	185
7. Personal Status of Arab Women	186

Full report:

[cedawcisr3.pdf]

2019-03-11T20:40:38-04:00

Women Convention – Israel third periodic reports to CEDAW

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