Haredi women say a new program backed by Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett is discriminatory becuase it excludes them.
Haredi Women Say New Affirmative Action Policy For Haredi Men Discriminates Against Haredi Women
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Haredi women say a new program backed by Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett is discriminatory becuase it excludes them, Ynet reported.
The program is meant to provide affirmative action for haredi men seeking civil service jobs.
The Meoravot organization, which tries to advance the status of haredi women, lashed out at Bennett’s new program.
“[Bennett’s program] is based on blatant gender discrimination, in which haredi women become transparent" and are denied employment, Meoravot said in statement, adding that "the glass ceiling for haredi women is a concrete reality in wages and in terms of employment compared to non-haredi women, and definitely compared to men.…[Bennett’s program] creates the risk of the revolving door effect, in which on one side men will go out to work, but haredi women working for a particularly low salary will be discharged from the labor market. This scenario is definitely possible in light of the reality in which men get incentives for integration and the haredi women are left in the back again."
Meoravot called on the haredi Knesset members and Bennett "not to lend a hand to the exclusion of the women of the haredi sector, and to apply the law to them as well. Give them a starting point equal to men or other Israeli women, and don't add to the employment difficulties which already exist."
An Economy and Trade Ministry official reportedly told Ynet that haredi women already have affirmative action in the civil service's hiring process just like every woman in Israel does, and there is no need to include them Bennett's new program, as well.
Meoravot rejected that claim, noting that an affirmative action policy exists for the Arab community for civil service jobs, and it specifically includes both men and women – meaning Arab women are doubly protected, once because they are women and once because they are Arab. The same policy should apply to haredi women, as well, Meoravot insisted.