Aliza Lavie: “This year could be a year in which we will correct an historical injustice”
More than 70 candidates, heads of local authorities, a coalition of women’s organizations, Knesset members and public figures attended a special event in the Knesset to encourage women to run in municipal elections in October and to call on the various factions to integrate women into their party lists.
The event was initiated by MK Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid), in cooperation with a coalition of
local women’s organizations, in preparation for the upcoming municipal elections in
October. In these elections, for the first time, the law promoted by MK Lavie in the
previous Knesset will come into effect, granting additional funding of up to 15% to
factions whose lists are comprised of at least one-third women. In the run-up to the
forthcoming elections, there is a record number of candidates. The event was designed to
encourage factions to integrate women in real positions and to encourage women
to compete for representation and to call for public support and a greater voice
for women. The main conference was led by Sharon Kidon and was followed by
professional workshops for the candidates.
MK Dr. Aliza Lavie said, “For years, the local arena has been
abandoned and dominated under almost total male hegemony. The representation data
in the local authorities no longer presents merely a gender gap – it illustrates an abysmal
gap, absurd and unusual by any measure. Today, only 14 percent of all council
members and only 2 percent of local council heads are women. It is a loss and a
reckless waste of human capital. The correction we seek is not the
favoring of women, but rather the implementation of a central tool for correcting and
improving local authorities and society at large. Where there are more women around
the table, the mix is more varied, the decision-making process is more balanced, and the
discussion is attentive and focused on the diverse needs of society. In the coming
elections, for the first time, the law that we promoted will come into effect, providing an
economic incentive for lists to integrate women. This is one important step, but there is
a long way to go. We are all responsible for the fact that this coming October will be a
historic one, and women will be a significant part of the local leadership.”
Yesh Atid Chairman, MK Yair Lapid: “A wise woman once told me that we would
know that the feminist revolution has won when we see mediocore women in senior
positions. Because we constantly see mediocre men in senior positions, women will
succeed because they are better than any of them. Since we are not there yet, I saw a
lot of non-mediocre women today who are running for senior positions and are working
to change the country and where they live.”
