The Representation of Women in Israeli Politics : A Comparative Perspective

Why is it important for women to be represented in the
Knesset and in cabinet? Are women who are elected
to these institutions expected to do more to promote “female”
interests than their male counterparts? What are the factors
influencing the representation of women in Israeli politics? How
has their representation changed over the years, and would the
imposition of quotas be a good idea?
This policy paper examines the representation of women in Israeli
politics from a comparative perspective. Its guiding premise
is that women’s representation in politics, and particularly in
legislative bodies, is of great importance in that it is tightly
bound to liberal and democratic principles. According to some
researchers, it is also important because female legislators
advance “female” issues more than male legislators do.
While there has been a noticeable improvement in the
representation of women in Israeli politics over the years, the
situation in Israel is still fairly poor in this regard. This paper
looks at the impact of this situation on women’s status and
gender equality in Israeli society, and offers recommendations
for improving women’s representation in politics. The steps
recommended are well-accepted in many democracies around
the world, but have yet to be tried in Israel.