Mittwoch, 13. April 2011, 19.30 Uhr, im RC:
THE CONTRADICTING TENDENCIES IN WOMEN RIGHTS IN ISRAEL
Michal LEVERTOV, Address of welcome: Doron RABINOVICI.
Michal LEVERTOV is an Israeli journalist. She is a frequent contributor for the Israeli women magazine AT, and also writes for Israeli and foreign publications such as The Jewish Chronicle and Haaretz. Formerly, she was a columnist for Time Magazine's website and Haaretz' staff writer. She has also worked as media and strategy advisor for Israeli human-rights and civil-society NGOs. At the end of December 2010, former president, Moshe Katsav, was convicted by an Israeli court in offences of rape, sexual harassment and obstruction of justice. In March 2011 he was sentenced to seven years in prison. Four years earlier, former Justice Minister, Haim Ramon, was convicted of indecent assault, after forcing a kiss on a female IDF officer. Indeed, Israel enjoys some of the most advanced legislations on sexual harassment and sexual assaults. On the other hand, marriages in Israel can only be performed under the auspices of the religious community to which couples belong. Cases of separation between sexes in the public sphere are becoming more prevalent than in the past. There are still significant gender based wages gaps in the Israeli job market, and violence against women does not seem to be reduced. What are the tendencies of women’s rights in Israel and which are the causes for their contradicting inclinations?