Only 26% of Israeli women define themselves as feminists, shows a new study published ahead of the International Women's Day celebrated on March 8.
The study was conducted by the Direct Plus company, which specializes in surveys, and was carried out exclusively for Ynet's sister outlet "La'Isha". The data was examined in December 2021, employing a digital system and panel, amongst a sample of 517 Jewish women above the age of 18 in Israel.
It was examined by Dr. Nitza Yarom - clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst specializing in sexuality, gender, and body, and Dr. Michal Rom- specialist in gender perspective integration and processes of research and creation.
According to the survey, 48% of women in Israel know someone that has experienced sexual assault and are concerned about violence towards women in public space.
"Although disturbing, this number isn't surprising and even low, given the data we have on sexual assault. According to aid centers, one in three women experienced some form of sexual assault in her life, so I would expect that more than half would know someone on a personal level," said Dr. Rom.
The survey included the following questions:
What is missing in a woman's life?
At least 36% said time (mostly amid older women), 28% said money (mostly amid younger women), 23% said emotional support, and 13% said a relationship.
What worries women most?
At least 28% said polarization and impatience of Israeli society, 11% said the security state, 8% said the road situation, and 7% said COVID.
Are women satisfied in their sex lives?
At least 63% claimed that satisfaction level was above reasonable, which surprised the professionals. "I didn't expect such a high number, maybe because my clinic attracts women who are less satisfied. But it can be said that in the sex field, women already feel more liberated. They allow themselves to say what they want and what they like assertively", Dr. Yarom said.
How do women prefer to spend their free time?
At least 26% said vacations and trips in Israel, 23% said cultural events such as movies or shows, 14% said spending time at home, 14% said meeting up with friends, 11% said shopping, 8% restaurants and bars, and 4% said other recreational activities.
To what level do women agree with the following statements?
At least 99% agreed they are good at their jobs, 96% agreed they are a good friend, 94% agreed they are a good mom, 88% agreed they are a good partner, and 83% agreed they are a good daughter.
After years of trends showing self-resentment, the data regarding Israeli women's levels of satisfaction with themselves and with their roles as girls, friends, wives, and mothers surprised Dr. Yarom. "When we speak of feelings related to relations with others, there is a tendency to doubt the results, because interpersonal relations are two-sided, and I assume that the other side maybe doesn't see things in the same way. I'm happy that women are satisfied, but I think they are simply 'full of themselves' and this doesn't necessarily reflect the reality," she said.
"Women need to applaud themselves constantly, and there is a kind of cognitive dissonance here (desire of the individual to maintain a balance between cognitive aspects such as stances, opinions, beliefs, and world outlook, in order to feel calm and stable). Within the tough reality that most of us live in today, you cannot allow yourself to say that you aren't good at something. If you ask a woman to say 'I am a good mom', she needs to be in a very low place to say 'I don't agree'. I'm happy to discover that women can applaud and be compassionate towards themselves, because we don't get enough appraisal from external sources. Unfortunately, women receive so many blows from the world only for being women. They invest so much and do not get compensated enough, so at least they know how to applaud themselves, and there is something encouraging in that."
What percent of women consider themselves feminists at 'very high level'?
At least 28% age 65 and up, 26% ages 45-64, 25% ages 30-44, and 0% under the age of 30; Overall, only 26% of women consider themselves feminists 'at a very high level'.
"These numbers strengthen the claim that there is still work to be done in the feminist movement. Public relations of feminism are horrible," said Dr. Rom. "These are relatively new ideas, confronting a sturdy wall of patriarchy that has dominated for thousands of years, and in Israel, because our society is very family-oriented, the feminism is seen as the enemy of men and the family structure.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that young women steer away from the term feminism, because no one teaches them what it means. But as they grow older and understand that if it wasn't for feminism their lives would be much worse, their deterrence fades. Women are aware that there isn't equality, not in salaries and not in home labor roles, and still they say they aren't feminists', because why should they define themselves as feminists? They live in a world which most of the revolution has already taken place, and everything is accessible, transparent and natural. They don't understand that there are places in the world that it isn't this way."
Dr. Rom says even the 26% may be a reason for optimism. "For example, if you ask women if they belief in equality between men and women, or if women and men should make the same amount of money for the same job, they will say yes. However, if you ask them 'are you a feminist?', they'll say no, because the feminist title puts them in a place that awakens a lot of criticism, and exposes them to a man-hating image. There are more and more women that identify with the principles of feminism, but not with the image of it," she said.
"On one hand women feel that from the minute they define themselves as feminists they automatically place themselves in front of oppressing and chauvinistic men, and they don't want to feel that way in front of their partner that they love. In their feeling, the fact that they don't identify as militant feminists, protects their positive feeling with 'the enemy. On the other hand, there is no doubt that feminism is the most prominent social movement in the 21st century, and that women that shake this off don't struggle to earn their rights, and it's a shame."
How do women feel regarding their salary?
At least 43% feel they receive a lower salary then what they deserve, 43% feel there is room for improvement, and 14% feel that they are compensated accordingly at their job.
Regarding salary, there is no question that women make less than men. "How do we fix this?", Dr. Rom asks. "Everything starts with education, its' basic, equality education is at the bottom of our priorities despite the fact that legislation in Israeli is very progressive. The problem is with enforcement and also on the social platform. Kids need to learn from a young age that a man doesn't control a woman. Today there are professionals that work on awareness and education from a young age, I hope that we'll yield the fruit in a few years."