For Men, Gray Hair Is Experience. For Women? The Opposite
An opinion column on the representation of women in Israeli politics. The author, a communications strategy consultant, criticizes the new parties for placing relatively young women in secondary roles and presenting them as 'social activists.' She points to the absence of older, experienced women on the lists, comparing this to men who receive repeated opportunities. As examples, she cites Ayelet Shaked, who does not lead any political union, and Aliza Bloch, whose addition to Arad's list is a positive exception.
An opinion column by Odelia Carmon, a communications strategy consultant, criticizing the way women are represented in the current election campaign. The author opens with the addition of Aliza Bloch, former mayor of Beit Shemesh, to the third place on Gilad Arad's list, defining it as the 'feminine refreshment' of the election campaign. However, she argues that most women joining the new parties are relatively young, solid, and presented under the title 'social activist.' In her view, this is a convenient formula that does not threaten the male center of gravity of the party. She compares this to the past, when women led parties and were candidates for national leadership, and today it is hard to find a woman in second place on a list. The author asks where are the women in their sixties and seventies, with public, economic, and legal experience, and claims there is a 'double exclusion' of older women. She cites Ayelet Shaked as an example of a strong and experienced woman who does not lead any political union, and argues that women are judged more harshly for mistakes. In conclusion, she calls for a real test: not how many women are placed on the list, but which woman is placed at the top.