The distaffsideoftheKnesset By GREER FAY CASHMAN There was an incremental increase then dropped, because by that time, society,Akirav said. in the number of women legislators the voting public would have gotten Itbothered both Itzkovitch-Malkaand Itwould appear that women in Isra- from 1999 onward, with the highest used to the idea that female parliamen- Akirav that when women voicepolitical el have broken through the glassceil- elected number for the 20th Knesset tarianshave something to say,and not ambitions, they are immediately asked ing. Women have filledpositions of in 2015, Itzkovitch-Malka said.Due to justabout education and socialissues, about the effecton theirchildren.But prime minister,foreignminister,deputy unintentional personnel changes in which are the areas to which they are such question isnever put to male defense minister,justiceminister,Bank which some MKs left,people in lower usuallyelectedor appointed. politician,even in an era of shared fam- of Israelgovernor, state comptroller, slotswere moved up, among them eight Akirav took this step further,not- ilyresponsibilities,they said. Supreme Court president,as well as of women, bringing female representation ing that women have something to Neither woman held out much hope lower courts,Knesset speaker,university in the Knesset to record-high 35. say about security.In addition to the for Kol Hanashim, the Women’s Party, president,chairof the board of directors Ifthe pollsare correct,the number of three generalsin the top 10 in Blue and which isrunning in the currentKnesset of leading banks and more. females electedwillbe 28 or 29. White, there isalso female MK on the electionand has candidates from across But in most cases,these have been “But numbers don’t revealthe whole listwho was formerly high-ranking the political,religiousand ethnic spec- token positions filledby women only picture,”Itzkovitch-Malka said.“There IDF officer,and her viewpoint isno less trum. Firstly,they were “Jenny come once or twice.The Supreme Court has is always constant strugglefor equal valuable,she said.Akirav was referring latelies,”Akirav said,and secondly,var- the bestrecord,with three female presi- gender representation.” to Maj.-Gen. (ret.)Orna Barbivai. ious feminist groups believethisisnot dents,two of them successive. Unless elected legislatorsare in the Whereas Itzkovitch-Malka spoke the righttime for women’s party.Pre- Following its establishment, Israel first10 slotsof the winning party,they mainly of women in the Knesset,Akirav vious attempts to enter the Knesset on was very progressivein comparison to have littlechance of becoming min- spoke of women in localgovernment, women’s tickethave failed.In 1992, many other Western countries,with 11 istersor heads of Knesset committees, where only the electedmayor has power the women’s party receivedonly 2,886 women in the firstand second Knessets, she said,and itisthe ministersand the because most of the other people on the votes. and 12 in the third. committee heads who have the power. municipal council are volunteers.She Another factorprompting yetanother From 1959-1999, the number fluctu- There are only two women within was council member for10 years. unhappy outcome for women’s party ated between seven to 11, politicalsci- the first10 slotsin both Likud and Blue There is huge gap in female repre- isthe generaldeclinein female political entist Dr. Reut Itzkovitch-Malka told and White, Itzkovitch-Malkasaid.Aside sentation between national and local leadership.The only female party lead- journalistsat discussion hosted on from that,there have never been more government. The number of women er isOrly Levy-Abekasis,whose Gesher Monday by Jerusalem-basedMediaCen- than four female ministers serving candidates for mayor increases with party isrunning with Labor and Meretz. tral. simultaneously in any government of each election.In 2008, 10 ran formayor, Ayelet Shaked isplaying musical chairs Itzkovitch-Malka is an assistantpro- Israel,and there were governments in and sixwere elected.In 2013, 38 ran for with NaftaliBennett. Tamar Zandberg fessorin the Department of Sociology, which there were no women. mayor, and sixwere elected.In the most lostout to Nitzan Horowitz. PoliticalScience and Communication Women will continue to be pushed recent municipal elections,72 women Even though the futuredoes not look at the Open University.She and her down on the listunlessthere is mech- ran formayor, and 14 were elected. promising for would-be women legis- colleague Dr. Osnat Akirav,who heads anism to prevent it,such as the system In 2013, there were 475 women serv- lators,Itzkovitch-Malka and Akirav do the Research Department of Political in France,where parliamentary listsare ing as council members in municipali- not see thisas cause fordismay. Science at the Western GalileeCollege, man, woman, man, woman, she said. tiesacrossthe country. Currently,there That Kol Hanashim is running is each commented on what tough year In her research,Itzkovitch-Malkasaid, are 645 female council members, and proof diversityisnot disconnect but ithas been forwomen in Israelipolitics. she interviewed pastand presentfemale out of 255 municipalitiesnationwide, gateway to discourse,and proof that They shared the reasons for concern, MKs. One came up with the idea that there are78 without any women atall. women in the Knesset are not justone indicating that it may get lot worse the French system be adopted for two Increasing numbers of women want differentvoice but many differentvoic- beforeitgetsbetter. successive cycles of the Knesset and say and feel responsibilitytoward es raisedin harmony..