Israel to Enter U.N. WOMEN Organization

Israel is set to enter U.N. WOMEN, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, today (Jan. 16).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s involvement in the organization is essential to Israel and the advancement of women around the world.

“Since its establishment, the State of Israel has been known as a pioneer in the field of advancing women's status and has a proven record in the area of gender equality,” he said in a media statement.

“Israel's influence in a prominent international body in the field is necessary because the issue of women's status is a main policy issue for us and because Israel's contribution to such a body from its inception could be considerable for the countries of the world," said Netanyahu.

Israel’s joining of U.N. Women was spearheaded by Deputy Minister for the Advancement of Women, Young People and Students Gila Gamliel.

Gamliel explained that Israel’s membership in U.N. WOMEN’s Executive Board allows Israel to stress positive aspects about the country in the international arena.

“One of the State of Israel's main interests in the U.N. is to advance a positive agenda regarding the country's activities,” Gamliel said.

“Israel is among the world's leaders in advancing the status of women; therefore, it would be proper to stress this fact in order to improve its international standing,” she added.

A representative from the Prime Minister’s Office will chair a steering committee to set national policy regarding Israel’s participation in the organization.

Not only does Israel initiate pioneering schemes at home but also overseas. For the past decade, Israel’s MASHAV program -- a Center for International Cooperation, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs -- has educated thousands of women from around the world, including Palestinians, emphasizing microenterprise development and women’s leadership.

U.N. WOMEN was created by the United Nations in July 2010 in order to accelerate the organization’s goals on women’s advancement in the world. In an effort to bring more weight to the cause, it merged four previously distinct U.N. bodies that focused on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The U.N. has made progress in the area before, including through landmark agreements like the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Gender equality has a large social and economic impact, according to U.N. Women. The right of women to access education, healthcare and employment opportunities is a basic human right.