Women Candidates in Israel

If women don’t get involved in Israeli politics, women’s issues won’t get the attention they deserve, according to the Israel Women’s Network (IWN), an organization dedicated to equal rights for Israeli women. With 1988’s local and national elections ahead, leaders of the organization have set out to support women candidates and raise the consciousness of the electorate.

In addition to its program for women already in office, which offers training in leadership and issues awareness, IWN is planning to give a boost to women in the running.

“We look forward eagerly to a year of intense activity,” reads the IWN Newsletter #4; “A year that will finally see women take their rightful place alongside men in determining national policy and priorities and on the decision making bodies of local and national government.”

The all-out effort will be aimed at would-be politicians, designers of party platforms, lobbyists and representatives of the media. The Network is preparing fact sheets for women candidates, and a directory of accomplished women who might be urged to get involved in politics.

Among IWN’s ongoing projects are efforts to improve women’s status under income tax law and equal opportunity employment law, a hotline for women experiencing discrimination at work and in education, and a women’s health information project.