|
Does Gender Equality Really Exist in Israel?
|
|
|
Date Published:
3/11/2008
|
Last Updated:
4/15/2008
|
|
Category:
Parliament
|
Legislation in Israel ostensibly ensures equal rights for women in many domains. In order to examine whether legal equality (de jure) is translated into actual equality (de facto), the current state of affairs must be examined.
The transition of women from the private domain to the public one has found expression in the integration of women in the labor market. “Working women” is not only a feminist ideal; it is also a necessity born of the economic reality in which many families who rely on one pay check join the circle of poverty.
The percentage of women in the State of Israel who participate in the labor market is large – about 70% – only slightly smaller the 82% of men (as of 2005). This is consistent with large percentages of working women in Western countries in general. But despite the fact that most of the women in the Israel have integrated into the labor market, they still do not share the same working conditions as men: not in their employment conditions, not in the salaries they receive, and not in the opportunities that are open to them in the labor market.
Integration of Women into the Labor Market – Statistical Data
Education
The integration of women into the public labor market depends on the level of their (higher) education and their fields of study. The last three decades have seen a rise in the percentage of women studying in universities. In the 1979-1980 academic year, 45% of students receiving degrees were women, while in 2004-2005, the percentage rose to 59%. Thus today, women comprise more than half of the student body. The greatest rise was recorded for advanced degrees: The proportion of women among those who receive masters' degrees grew from 38% in 1979-1980 to 57% in 2004-2005. The percentage of women receiving doctorate degrees nearly doubled: from 27% to 52%.
But despite the fact that there are more women than men in the institutes of higher education, most of the women concentrate in so-called “feminine” fields such as teaching, nursing, humanities and social sciences. They tend to shy away from fields that are considered to carry greater earning potential such as the technology, science, engineering and medical professions; these fields are considered more “masculine.” These gender distinctions in both professions and occupations, whether we are consciously aware of them or not, begin even before entering the labor market. See Diagram 1 below.
Diagram 1: Students in Institutes of Higher Education by Field of Study and by Gender
In the 2004-2005 Academic Year
(In percentages)
An examination of academic faculties reveals significant gender discrepancies: True, as of the 2005-2006 academic year the percentage of women studying in universities for a bachelor's degree was 55%; for a masters' degree--56.6%; and for a doctorate--52.5%. Despite this, the representation of women on academic faculties was much lower, and in the 2004-2005 academic year women constituted 43.3% of lecturers, 35.2% of senior lecturers, 21.6% of associate professors, and only 11.9% of full professors.
It is interesting to note the negative correlation that exists between the proportion of women in specific academic fields and their rate of advancement: In fields where women constitute smaller percentages of the student population, the proportion of female professors is largest (28% in physical and natural sciences, 25% in computer sciences, 15% in engineering, 14% in humanities, 11% in social sciences, and only 10% in the field of education).
Occupation
Most of the occupations are also characterized by gender segmentation, paralleling the distinction between “masculine” and “feminine” subject fields in universities. For example, 21.3% of working women work in the education field, versus only 5.4% of men. Yet just 9.3% of working women are employed in industry, versus 21.3% of males.
Diagram 2: Employed Persons by Industry and Occupation, 2006
(In percentages)
In spite of the above, it is important to note that a trend is indeed developing in which the borderlines between male and female occupations are becoming less distinct. For example, though the business and financial sectors have traditionally been considered male domains, the number of women employed in these sectors has risen over the years. In 2003 the percentage of women working in these sectors was about 46% (and the percentage of women who worked in these sectors among all working women was 15%). In the years 1985-2003 the number of women employed in the financial sector rose by about 170%. However, it should be noted that the total number of employees in this sector rose by about 172%.
Still, the segmentation of women employed in the business and financial sectors shows us that most of the women employed in this sector (46% in 2003) serve as clerks, while only a minority (6.2%) hold managerial positions—and these are mainly on the lower and middle managerial levels.
Workplace Hierarchy Levels
In many occupations there is a hierarchical structure of positions, and salaries are determined by the ‘ranking’ of the position (senior, lower) on the hierarchical scale. A major attempt to equalize the status of women in the workplace was carried out in the public sector, which is more easily controlled by legislation affecting work policy and modes of action.
Women constitute two-thirds of employees in the public service, and 45% of women working outside of the home are, in fact, employed in public service. But despite the official and legislative attempts to obtain equality of gender representation, the proportion of women in high-levels position in the public sector is very small. The percentage of women in Level A managerial positions (CEO, assistant CEO, administrator of a large hospital ) was 10%; in Level B managerial positions (deputy CEO, administrator of a small hospital) was 23%; in Level C (director of a section, department or domain) was 31%.
Another high-level position in the public sector is membership on boards of directors of government companies. Legislation was passed regarding these positions, which succeeded in opening the door to many women. However, the number of women who actually serve in these positions is still relatively small.
Diagram 3: Percentages of Women on Boards of Directors of Government Companies, 1993-2007
(note: read this diagram from right to left)
|