International Women’s Day

March 8, 2019 by J-Wire Newsdesk
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Israel’s women: the statistics published on today’s International Women’s Day.

Demographics

 

  • Female population in Israel at end of 2017 – 4,433,560 (out of about 8.9 million total population), of whom 27.3% were age 14 and younger, and 12.8% were over age 65.
  • The average age of giving birth to a first child rose in the last decade, from 26.8 in 2006 to 27.6 in 2017
  • Fertility rate of women in Israel: 3.11 children, compared to OECD average of 1.7.
  • Babies born to single mothers accounted for 5.3% of all Jewish babies born in 2017.
  • Life expectancy for women in Israel is 84.6 (compared to 80.7 for men), a rise of 2.2 years in the decade 2007-2017, compared to 2 years among men.
  • Overweight: Age 20 and older, 40.9% of women and 55.4% of men were overweight.

Education

  • Among 12th-graders, more girls than boys were eligible for a matriculation certificate – 70.9 % compared to 59.2% respectively.
  • Among Arabs, the disparity between male and female 12th-graders is greater. Of those fulfilling the qualifications to enter university, 56.6% were women and 37.8% men.
  • In the 2017/18 academic year, 59% of university students were women. Compare with 1969/70, when less than half of the students were women.
  • Among Arab students, 68.9% were women.
  • Percentage of women among academic students: 58.4% of BA students, 62.2% of MA students, 52.8% of doctoral students, and 74.3% of diploma students.
  • Women constituted over 80% of the students in paramedical professions and education, and only 30-35% of the students in physical sciences, engineering, mathematics and computer sciences.

Employment 2018

  • Participation in the labour force of women age 15 and over was 59.8%, compared to 68.2% of the men. More men than women were employed full-time. Among both men and women, the unemployment rate was about 4%.
  • Women constituted 56.3% of employees in academic fields, and 33.8% of managerial positions were filled by women. 34% of hi-tech workers were women.
  • 90% of working women are satisfied with their jobs, but only 56% are satisfied with their salaries.
  • Since 2007, the gender-based disparity in income decreased for salaried workers, but increased or was unpredictable among the self-employed.
  • Among married couples, in 67.2% of one-income households, the wage-earner is male. Among Arabs, the percentage is even higher. Among the ultra-orthodox, the reverse is true – in 76.8% of one-income households, the wage earner is the woman.

Miscellany

  • Of 34,200 people tried for criminal offences, 7.5% of them were women.
  • Licensed drivers in 2018: among the Jewish population, 45% of licensed drivers were women; among the Arab population, 38% (a rise from 31% in 2008).

The Israeli Declaration of Independence states: “The State of Israel will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex.”

Israeli law prohibits discrimination based on gender in employment and wages, and provides for class action suits; nonetheless, there are complaints of significant wage disparities between men and women.

The statistics were compiled from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics annual report

The statistics in this report are mostly from the year 2017.

Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission Dvir Abramovich stated: “In celebrating International Women’s Day, the ADC joins millions around the world to pay tribute and to honour the political, economic, social, cultural and achievements of women as they strive towards gender equality, fair payment and empowerment.

On a daily basis, Australian women make tremendous contributions and achieve remarkable feats in every sector of our society and it is our duty to respect and to support their aspirations and rights. This can only continue if we ensure that women are safe from all forms of violence in their homes, schools and work, and have easy access to help when they suffer such abuse.

The ADC, since its inception, has been committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive nation, in which all people, regardless of their faith, background, creed, colour, sexual orientation and gender are able to actualise their full potential.

On this important occasion, we must all pledge to join the campaign to break down the barriers of discrimination that oppress and subjugate women, to advance the rights of women and girls, and to create greater opportunities for them in our communities, here and abroad. This is a pivotal investment in our future and each one of us must stand alongside them in fighting for this critical and bold change.”

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