"Every Haredi woman simply enjoys to sit in the back, in the company of women where she can speak about woman-oriented topics, and not to sit in the company of men, and not to open her mouth there. She is comfortable in the back. Women have certain topics of conversation: the kitchen, the household, and child rearing. This is natural."…having public spaces without gender segregation is "suitable for the low level of the Africans, but not for Judaism."
Rabbi Mordechai Blau
Shish writes:
Here's an article from the Hebrew newspaper, Maariv:
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/319/901.html
In it, Rabbi Mordechai Blau, who bears the title, "Chairman of the Oversight of Holiness and Education of the Haredim," defends the practice of segregated public buses, stating, "Every Haredi woman simply enjoys to sit in the back, in the company of women where she can speak about woman-oriented topics, and not to sit in the company of men, and not to open her mouth there. She is comfortable in the back. Women have certain topics of conversation: the kitchen, the household, and child rearing. This is natural."
In the original Hebrew:
"כל אישה חרדית פשוטה נהנית לשבת מאחור בחברת נשים ולדבר בענייני נשים, ולא לשבת במחיצת גברים ולא לפתוח שם את הפה. בחלק האחורי נוח לה. לנשים יש את נושאי השיחה שלהן: מטבח, דירה וגידול ילדים. זה הטבע"
As an aside, he also gratuitously makes a completley unnecessary racist comment, stating that having public spaces without gender segregation is "suitable for the low level of the Africans, but not for Judaism" ("זה מתאים לרובד הנמוך של האפריקנים, ולא ליהדות").
Blau is the head of the haredi modesty squads that sometimes terrorize haredi neighborhoods, making sure the rank and file toe the line.
Here's the entire Ma'ariv article as a PDF file:
Download Rabbi Mordechai Blau Ma'ariv mixed gender Bus seating for low Africans