The ministerial committee passed a bill which will reduce women’s financial reliance on their husbands. According to the law, which was promoted by MKs Dov Khenin (Hadash) and Aliza Lavie (Yesh Atid), social welfare payments will now be transferred to a couple’s shared account instead of to the man’s account. The hope is that this will increase the economic independence of vulnerable women, and will be particularly vital in the case of abusive relationships.

Itach-Maaki – Women Lawyers for Social Justice Director Keren Shemesh-Perlmutter said: “Economic violence against women is a major problem that hasn’t been sufficiently confronted on a legal level. This change creates a precedent, and we hope that in the coming years there will be more advances in the field.” Itach-Maaki aims to create social change by using the law to address the needs and rights of women from the social, economic, and geographic periphery of Israel.