The curious case of Israeli women: Army service is compulsory for them; but they can't pray with men

 

As most of you would probably know--thanks to your Facebook feed or newspaper reading habits--Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While, the politics of this Indo-Israeli friendship is something we would much rather not get into right now, the women at OddNaari were quite enthralled by the idea of weighing women's rights in Israel with the rights we get in India.

After all, Israel is that country where both men and women are mandated by the law to serve in the army. To those of us raised in a "ladka aur ladki ek barabar nahi hai" environment, this move by the Jewish nation reeks of feminism. And let's face it: Israeli women are just drop-dead gorgeous. So you can understand why we were so intrigued about the status they enjoy in their country.

However, as we delved deeper into the subject matter, we came across some very contradicting things about rights that women in enjoy in this particular Middle-Eastern country. Sure, Israel fares better than other countries in the region like Saudi Arabia and Iran--but even Israeli women don't have it all. Well you see...

Women Have Been Part Of The Israeli Army For Over Six Decades
Even before the establishment of the state of Israel, they made sure there was a representation of women in Israel Defense Forces (IDF). And according to the rules of the country, all Jewish Israeli citizens are required to complete national service at the age of 18--regardless of their gender.

Yes, that's right. It's mandatory even for women to fight alongside men in the army. And we say fight, they actually do fight.  In fact, women have played a major role in the units fighting the Nazis and have also served in Israel's 1948 war for independence.

And Top Positions In The Army Aren't Just Dominated By Men

Apart from a fair representation of women in the army, they hold top positions too. According to New York Times, more than 92% of their army jobs are now open to women, including position of fighter pilots, infantry officers, naval captains and Humvee drivers.

Women Might Be Valued In the Army, But Are Discriminated Against In Civilian Jobs
Wage gap in Israel is one of the highest in the world. In fact according to various reports, the gap is higher than average. According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, women make, on average, 66% of what men make.

The figure is staggering because it hasn't significantly moved in over three decades. And that's not all. According to ABC, even though 65% of state workers are women, less than a third reach the level of senior management. In fact, of the 106 government authorities, only four have a woman director. The average monthly wage of women managers is 73% that of male managers.

However, Israel Makes Sure It Pays For A Woman's Abortion
Yes, you heard it right. According to Haaretz, in 2014, the Israeli cabinet ruled that the country will pay legal abortions for women aged 20 to 33, regardless of the circumstance. Although the country has abortion committees that decides upon abortions, they virtually approve almost all the applications. And that's not all. According to the abortion laws in the country, a woman can undergo the procedure up to 40 weeks of her pregnancy. If it's a minor girl, she won't require parental consent for getting her foetus aborted.

Getting an Abortion Might Be Easy In Israel, But Divorce Sure Isn't
In Israel, even if a woman is not religiously Jewish, she will still have to be divorced according to the Jewish law. For a Jewish divorce, an Orthodox rabbi oversees a ritual that begins with the husband placing a folded decree, called a get or gett, into the wife's cupped hands.

Wait, it gets more ridiculous than that. According to Los Angeles Times, the rabbi hearing the divorce case, needs to tear the document, into pieces, which are then filed for record-keeping. The rabbis can order a reluctant spouse, usually a man, to grant the divorce. But if a spouse refuses to undertake the religious rite, the court doesn't have the power to dissolve the marriage.

Did You Know, Israel Still Doesn't Have A Space Where Men And Women Can Worship Together?

Israeli Jewish women have been fighting for years for a place of worship where they won't be segregated from their male counterparts. But, all these fights were rendered futile when the country couldn't take a stand. According to The Times Of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yielded to ultra-orthodox Jews and suspended a plan to provide a better space for non-Orthodox men and women to worship together. This move was heavily criticized by Jews in other parts of the world.

Nonetheless, Israel Was The Fourth Country In The World To Have A Woman Prime Minister?
If we talk about administration, then Israel was the world's fourth country to elect a female Prime Minister. Golda Meir was elected as Israel's Prime Minister in 1969. Although, she is the only woman who has held the top position in the government, it was still a progressive move given it was the 60's.