She has lamented the departure of her friend and colleague Sandra Day O'Connor in 2006. The justice has made no secret of her desire to see greater gender diversity on her court. I am glad to no longer be the lone woman on the court, and look forward to a new colleague well-equipped to handle the challenges our work presents." Her remarks were made at a semi-private conference in Upstate New York. Ginsburg said the 54-year-old federal appeals court judge brings "a wealth of experience in the law and in life. When decisions are being taken, respect for every aspect of our lives and qualities of the individuals should be addressed.Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the only women on the nine-member court, told a group of lawyers and judges this weekend she was "cheered" at the nomination of Sotomayor. We must accept human beings, diverse as they may be, as what they are, without stigmas and labels. A world where gender is no longer an issue. In the words of the late American Jew Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "Women belong in all places where decisions are being made." Let this be our national and collective goal for the next years.Īs a woman-mother-diplomat, but mainly as a concerned citizen, I aspire to a future reality of equal rights and equal obligations for all. Twenty years after Resolution 1325, it’s time to put an emphasis on participation. Protection of women’s’ rights is important, but we must not stop there. Israel has demonstrated repeatedly its commitment to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda at all levels of society and was the first country to implement parts of UNSCR 1325 in its national legislation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus aims, as stated in the announcement, at “strengthening women's rights and promoting gender equality through the exercise of foreign policy and the establishment of relevant collaborations and synergies with other States”. The resolution, that was adopted 20 years ago, urges Member States to increase the participation of women at all decision-making levels - national and international - in the sphere of peace and security. Just before the closing of 2020, the Cyprus Council of Ministers approved the first five-year National Action Plan for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security". There are only 18 women ambassadors out of 103 Israeli heads of missions. The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, elected in March 2020, has 30 women out of 120 members. On the other hand, the Israeli ministerial cabinet is still predominately male. A recent cabinet decision has set a goal that 50% of the Israeli civil service high rank staff should be women (currently only 11% hold this rank). We can be proud of the fact that Israeli women reach the top –Prime Minister (Golda Meir, 1969-74), ministers, party leaders, President of the Supreme Court, IDF general, Nobel laureate, etc. However, on the participation in political and public life level, an honest overview reveals a mixed picture. The Israeli national legislation protects the rights of women, guarantees equal opportunities, as well as tackles sexual harassment and domestic violence (sadly, the percentage of domestic violence during the time of the COVID-19 rose dramatically in many countries). In 2017, Israel initiated a groundbreaking resolution on the prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace, which was adopted within the framework of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Israel offers training to developing nations on women’s empowerment. Israel’s international involvement and contribution on the issue of women’s protection is a source of pride. 51% of the judges in the country are women. The number of women police officers is increasing as well. Women are in command of 7 of the 32 detention facilities in Israel. In the last years, there has been an increase of 20% in high ranking women in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Israel is one of the few countries in which mandatory military conscription applies to both men and women. Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has regarded women as an integral part of its security and policy structures. Furthermore, together with women from other like-minded countries in the region, improvements can be achieved. Through partnerships we can focus on gender equality and gender mainstreaming issues. Though the national and cultural contexts may differ, women and communities in the two countries have much in common and can gain from cooperation through sharing experiences and best practices.Ī joint Israeli-Cypriot women empowerment network for example, could serve as a platform for such an exchange. “You Have 15 Seconds to Take Cover, Run!” - What would you do?Ĭyprus and Israel are two Middle Eastern democratic countries with shared values as well as bilateral and regional interests.
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