In the majority of western democracies, with the exception of Scandinavia, women’s representation in politics is lower than their overall proportion in the population. Politics is perceived as a male domain while the domestic sphere, the private one, is perceived as the ‘natural’ province of women. The situation in Israel does not differ from that in most countries.

Women have consistently received symbolic representation in Israeli politics, at least sufficient enough to generate the myth of an open and egalitarian system. This representation reflects two contradictory processes existing side by side in Israeli political culture: recognition of women as a social category and the perception of women’s traditional roles - as wives and housewives - as self-evident.

Women in institutionalized political parties face a dilemma as to their political identity on the one hand and their commitment to feminist positions and activities on the other. Choosing to be party members representing the overall party line, they often find themselves classified as ‘women’ and relegated to traditional ‘feminine’ areas and roles. Should they choose to organize on a gender basis, they are marginalized along with the issues with which they concern themselves.

This article will present data concerning women’s representation in politics in Israel and worldwide, and will compare the findings with data from previous years in the aim of portraying the current situation of women in Israeli politics.

Representation of Women in Politics - An Inter-Country Comparison

A comparison of women’s representation in the Knesset with the national parliaments of several countries places Israel in 54th place among the 119 countries presented and among the 124 countries for which 2002 data are available. This representation rate is lower than that of most groups of countries in the world (data from Israel pertains to the 15th Knesset). In Scandinavian countries women comprise approximately 39% of all parliament members on average, whereas in western and southern European countries they account for about 17% of the legislature. An increased rate of women’s representation is evident in the United States and Israel - approximately 13.5% - however this rate remains low compared to other western countries. In 1987, Israel ranked 63rd among 135 countries for which data was available with respect to women’s representation in the legislature. Women’s representation in the Knesset in 1995 placed Israel in the 70th place among the 170 countries for which data was available, while in 2001 it ranked 57th among the 170 countries examined.

A comparison between Israel and countries worldwide with respect to women’s representation in government places Israel in 84th place among the 176 countries for which UN published data is available (data about Israel from 1999, prior to the national elections; data from other countries from 1995). In 1994, Israel ranked 105th among the 181 countries for which data was available. Women’s representation stands at 40% on average in the Scandinavian countries, 21% on average in the North American countries and 14% in Western and Southern European countries. Women’s representation rate in government in Israel is much lower, 11% on average. This rate is similar to that of women in developing countries and is only higher than women’s representation in South Asian countries.

In 1994 Israel ranked 93rd among the 184 countries for which published data was available with respect to the number of female deputy cabinet ministers. By comparison, Israel placed 88th in 1998 among 175 countries.

Women in Government in Israel

One aspect of women’s lacking power in Israel, as well as their limited ability to influence the public agenda, is their low representation in politics in general and in government in particular. During the term of 16 governments since the establishment of the State, including that of Prime Minister Sharon, only nine women have served as cabinet ministers: Golda Meir, Shoshana Arbeli-Almozlino, Shulamit Aloni, Sara Doron, Ora Namir, Limor Livnat, Dalia Itzik, Yael (Yuli) Tamir and Zippi Livni (several served in more than one government). Although Golda Meir served as Prime Minister, not even one woman held a ministerial post in her government, despite the fact the her cabinet was one of the largest to date (24 cabinet ministers). Ariel Sharon’s first government included the largest number of female cabinet ministers - 11.5%.

Women in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament)