Great story on International Women’s Day. Israel working to get more women in its parliament (Knesset).

Bill would reward parties that boast more women

Efforts to increase the number of female Knesset members have frequently been stymied by ultra-Orthodox parties, but a new bill proposed ahead of today’s celebration of International Women’s Day could change that.

Unlike previous bills, the proposal by MKs Einat Wilf (Labor) and Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), doesn’t aim to impose sanctions on parties with all-male parliamentary representation.

Instead, it offers a NIS 5.5 million payout for any party with a Knesset slate that is 35 percent female on the day the MKs are sworn in. The bill would amend a law that grants more limited funding to parties that meet that criterion.

The proposal will be valid only while female representation in the Knesset remains below 40 percent.

“The modern world strives to achieve equal rights between the sexes in every venture of life,” said Hotovely, who heads the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women. “Thus it is worthwhile to act toward a significant inclusion of women in the political field by encouraging parties that o have high percentages.”

None of the parties in the Knesset have reached the 35 percent threshold. Of the 120 seats in parliament, 23 are occupied by women. That number is expected to drop to 22 in the next few weeks once MK Yuli Tamir’s resignation takes effect. The Labor Party veteran will be replaced by Raleb Majadele.

There has not been a significant change in the number of female MKs in recent years. While women made up just 15 percent of the previous Knesset, parliaments in several other countries established quotas for female representation. They offered parties financial incentives as well as penalties for failure to meet minimums.

But in Israel, the absence of penalties could make the proposal more successful than its predecessors since it might not be thwarted by the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Shas MKs said they would consider refraining from objecting to the law.

Wilf said the bill does not seek to impose any requirements on parties.

“These type of law proved themselves overseas as an effective tool to buttress equality between the genders,” Wilf said. Earlier this decade, France passed a law that levied a fine against political parties that don’t have the same number of male and female candidates. Other countries that have instituted stringent requirements for equal representation include Argentina, Belgium, Italy, Nepal and Uganda.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1154843.html