United Nations CEDAW/C/ISR/5 Convention on the Elimination Distr.: General of All Forms of Discrimination 21 October 2009 against Women Original: English ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION 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 Fifth periodic report of States parties Israel* * The present report is being issued without formal editing. CEDAW/C/ISR/5 STATE OF ISRAEL Ministry of Justice - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 5TH Periodic Report Concerning THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW) 2009 2 CEDAW/C/ISR/5 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 9 LEGISLATIVE MEASURES..................................................................................................... 10 JUDICIAL MEASURES........................................................................................................... 13 ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES.............................................................................................. 15 THE CURRENT SITUATION ................................................................................................... 16 ARTICLE 1 - DEFINITION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN............ 18 THE CONSTITUTIONAL LEVEL ............................................................................................. 18 EQUAL RIGHTS LEGISLATION.............................................................................................. 19 JUDICIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIGHT TO EQUALITY ....................................................... 21 THE ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION IN THE PRIVATE SPHERE........................................ 21 ARTICLE 2 - OBLIGATIONS TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION ................... 23 LEGAL PROVISIONS ............................................................................................................. 23 LEGAL RECOURSE AVAILABLE FOR THE PURSUIT OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS ............................. 24 GOVERNMENTAL MECHANISMS AND MEASURES ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE THE STATUS OF WOMEN............................................................................................................................... 25 MECHANISMS IMPLEMENTED FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STATUS OF WOMEN ............ 26 ADVANCEMENT AND INTEGRATION OF WOMEN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE............................... 31 ARTICLE 3 - THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN........ 34 EFFECTIVE NATIONAL MACHINERY AND PUBLICITY............................................................. 34 WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................................ 35 ADVANCEMENT OF ARAB WOMEN....................................................................................... 46 ARTICLE 4 - ACCELERATION OF EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN48 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION......................................................................................................... 48 3 CEDAW/C/ISR/5 SPECIAL MEASURES AIMED AT PROTECTING MATERNITY .................................................. 49 ARTICLE 5 - SEX ROLE STEREOTYPING AND PREJUDICE............................. 49 WOMEN AND THE MEDIA .................................................................................................... 49 PORNOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................... 51 PROSTITUTION..................................................................................................................... 52 WOMEN AND RELIGION....................................................................................................... 52 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN............................................................................................... 53 SEXUAL VIOLENCE - LEGAL ASPECTS................................................................................. 53 EXTENT OF THE PHENOMENON OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ........................... 57 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - LEGAL ASPECTS ............................................................................. 70 EXTENT OF THE PHENOMENON OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE .................................................... 72 ARTICLE 6 - SUPPRESSION OF THE EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN................ 86 GENERAL ............................................................................................................................ 86 THE PARLIAMENTARY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN........................... 87 PREVENTION........................................................................................................................ 89 THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK.................................................................................................... 95 THE ACTUAL SITUATION..................................................................................................... 99 SENTENCING........................................................................................................................ 99 COMPENSATION FOR THE VICTIM OF THE CRIME............................................................... 102 PROTECTION AND THE HUMAN DIMENSION....................................................................... 104 INVOLVEMENT OF MINORS IN PROSTITUTION.................................................................... 113 REHABILITATION PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AND FEMALE-MINORS IN DISTRESS ................ 113 ARTICLE 7 - POLITICAL AND PUBLIC LIFE....................................................... 116 WOMEN IN POLITICAL LIFE IN ISRAEL ............................................................................... 116 4 CEDAW/C/ISR/5 WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION IN THE KNESSET .................................................................. 116 WOMEN IN THE GOVERNMENT .......................................................................................... 116 WOMEN IN LOCAL AUTHORITIES ...................................................................................... 117 WOMEN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE ......................................................................................... 120 THE JUDICIARY ................................................................................................................. 125 GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS ......................................................................................... 126 WOMEN IN THE MILITARY................................................................................................. 128 WOMEN IN THE POLICE AND IN THE PRISONS SERVICE...................................................... 135 WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS .............................................................................................. 137 ARTICLE 8 - INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION AND PARTICIPATION139 WOMEN'S REPRESENTATION IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE..................................................... 139 WOMEN REPRESENTATIVES AND INDEPENDENT EXPERTS IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 142 ARTICLE 9 - NATIONALITY..................................................................................... 142 ARTICLE 10 – EDUCATION ...................................................................................... 143 LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS .................................................................................................... 143 ADMINISTRATIVE DEVELOPMENTS.................................................................................... 144 HIGH SCHOOLS IN ISRAEL ................................................................................................. 148 GENERAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL / VOCATIONAL TRACKS ................................................. 148 MATRICULATION LEVELS.................................................................................................. 148 EDUCATION RATES, ATTENDANCE RATES AND DROP-OUT RATES ................................... 149 ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO PREVENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN .......................................................................................................................................... 153 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ................................................................................................ 153 5 CEDAW/C/ISR/5 GENDER STEREOTYPES WITHIN SCHOOL BOOKS ............................................................... 155 GENDER AND FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION............................................................................ 156 TEACHERS ......................................................................................................................... 156 HIGHER EDUCATION.......................................................................................................... 157 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION FOR WOMEN ..................................................... 163 PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS.................................................................................. 165 ARTICLE 11 - EMPLOYMENT.................................................................................. 167 LEGAL PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION WITHIN THE WORKPLACE............................ 167 LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS ...................................................................................................