MK Touma-Sliman: Many Employers Only Hire Women of Certain Ages and Marital status

More than 250 women formally complained of being discriminated against in the workplace last year because they were pregnant, Equal Opportunities Commissioner Tziona Koenig-Yair told a joint meeting of the Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee and the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women on Tuesday, July 7. Koenig-Yair presented her annual report to the two committees which during their meeting also discussed discrimination against young mothers in the job market and workplace.

MK Touma-Sliman during a rally by contract workers demonstrating for their rights last May Day at Tel-Aviv University

MK Touma-Sliman during a rally by contract workers demonstrating for their rights last May Day at Tel-Aviv University (Photo: Al Ittihad)

The Equal Opportunities Commission received 781 complaints in 2014, 122 fewer than in 2013, but 64% of them were from women. A third of the complaints had to do with pregnancy, 10% were about ageism, 7% dealt with reserve duty, 12% were due to religious or national discrimination, and 5% were connected to parenting. The commission handled 19 legal cases and proceedings in 2014, some of which are still ongoing. “The government of Israel has insufficiently raised the banner of equal opportunities,” lamented Koenig-Yair .

“With the resources we have, we cannot handle all of the problem; I think we should really be dealing with three times as many cases as we do.” Koenig-Yair said she feels that many women in the workplace are treated like “walking wombs,” and that employers need to change their perception.

A number of working mothers shared their stories with the committee, including one who said that when she became pregnant, her boss yelled at her that she was ruining her position at work. Subsequently, when the woman was on maternity leave, the workplace called and told her they had found a replacement for her.

Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women and Gender Equality chairwoman MK Aida Touma-Sliman (Hadash – Joint List) responded that many employers hire women only of certain ages and marital status. She called for the government to increase the Equal Opportunities Commission’s budget. “Research shows that every child a woman bears lowers her salary, which consequently lowers her pension,” she said.