Key findings of the IWN Women in Israel Report

MARCH 7, 2010 04:38

Women in Education

Females are more educated than their male counterparts from kindergarten through higher education.

Teenage girls’ success in matriculation exams supersede boys’; girls are more likely to meet university requirements.

60.2% of Jewish girls pass their matriculation exams; only 49.9% of boys do.

55% of people studying for BA degree are women.

Women and Economics

Women’s contribution to the workforce grew from 46.3% in 1998 to 51.3% in 2008.

Men’s average monthly salary is higher than women’s in every area of the market. Women make only 64% of what men earn.

65% of employees in the Civil Service are women, most of them in management positions or support services.

Only 34% of government ministry directors or department heads are women.

Women and Poverty

Women make up the majority of Income Support recipients.

In 2005-2006, more than one-fifth of women over 15 were considered poor.

In 2007, 23% of women reported that they had been forced to forgo food because they could not afford it; compared to only 18% of men.

Teenagers and Girls

Increase in last 20 years in number of girls attending school.

Among young Arab girls, the number attending school went up from 56.6% in 1980 to 87.5% in 2007.

In 2007, 3,843 girls under the age of 18 were married.

In 2008, 1665 teenagers under 18 gave birth; most (74.7%) were Muslims.

In 2007, 2,811 girls under 19 requested an abortion; most were unwed Jews.

Women and Human Rights

There was a sharp increase of asylum seekers – from 1,000 in 2005 to 18,000 in 2009. 15% of asylum seekers are women.

The majority of trafficked women end up staying here, but none are granted citizenship.

Women and Violence

36 women were murdered because of their gender in 2008, according to police statistics.

692 women and 1,016 children were treated in 13 battered women’s shelters.

46 women and 77 children were treated in halfway houses.

3,372 cases of sexual assault were filed with the police in 2008.

850 people were arrested for sexual assault from Jan. to Sept. 2009