In March 2020, The Israel National Security Council (NSC) appointed 23 experts to the Coronavirus Committee charged with developing the national exit strategy from lockdown, of which not one appointed expert was a woman.
Two grantee partners, Itach Ma’aki and The Rackman Center, joined forces and on behalf of 13 organizations submitted a legal case to the High Court of Justice to appoint more women to the committee, particularly those who represent Ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities.
In response, the NSC appointed nine women to the committee, but neglected to include women from diverse communities, leaving marginalized populations unable to protect their concerns. After submitting additional petitions to the High Court, the NSC appointed a new taskforce for the second wave of the coronavirus recovery, which has a majority of women as members and includes Arab and Ultra-Orthodox women.
“Including representatives of different opinions and experiences leads to better solutions for the entire population,” -Netta Loevy, Director of Advocacy for Itach Ma’aki
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The Israel Supreme Court declares that a lack of diverse representation on the Coronavirus Committee is unacceptable. (photo credit: Abir Sultan/Pool/AFP) |
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Women business owners protest the Israeli government’s coronavirus rulings, indicating they are not in the best interest of women and families (photo credit: Meged Gazani/Haaretz) |