Government Sets Up Unit to Prevent Sexual Harassment

September 5, 2007

Israel's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor has set up a new unit to expose sexual harassment in Israel's workplaces. In the coming weeks, the Ministry will launch "Operation Harassment" in which dozens of trained inspectors will visit Israeli factories, offices, stores and hotels to talk with female employees and uncover instances of sexual harassment.

In 1998, Israel enacted progressive legislation that defined sexual harassment, using a tough standard.  Furthermore, the law required workplaces with more than 25 employees to appoint a representative responsible for handling sexual harassment issues. While the public sector has implemented the law, private enterprise has largely ignored the legislation.

Tal Kremer-Vadai, Executive Director of NIF grantee Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI), which together with veteran NIF grantee Israel Women's Network helped to formulate the law, says that many women have nobody to turn to at their place of employment and are reluctant to go to the police. "They have no faith in the system," she says. "The police often do not believe them and they have heard stories of other cases handled negligently by the police. The case of President Katzav and the allegations against him have encouraged a lot of women to come to us, but the plea bargain currently being considered by the Supreme Court has again aroused their suspicions about the legal system."

The Story of D: D, a married woman in her mid-30's, is typical of those who have contacted ARCCI about sexual harassment, but who have ultimately refused to take the matter to the police. "I worked for a large company," she says, "where the manager of my department started sending me e-mails about how attractive I was. I ignored them. He then started making all sorts of suggestions. I spoke to my immediate superior, a woman, who told me that such behavior was normal. When it became clear to my manager that I was not interested, he started being difficult, paying me for less hours than I worked and talking in an unpleasant way. Eventually I left."

The new government unit will train inspectors to visit workplaces and talk to women who feel they have been sexually harassed. "We understand that women will not be eager to talk about harassment," explained Marit Danon, Head of the Authority for the Status of Women in the Prime Minister's Office, who initiated the new unit. "Therefore we are training our inspectors to behave in a discrete and sensitive way."