November Edition 2020

10 A goal for 2023 for women to hold at least 50% of senior positions in civil service The latest initiative taken by the Israeli government has recently been unveiled. The Government has set a goal for 2023 for women to hold at least 50% of senior positions in the civil service- meaning those who work directly with directors general, such as their deputies, regional managers, department heads, and sections leaders. The Authority for the Advancement of Women in the Social Equality Ministry held a first-of-its kind zoommeetingonSeptember 25 toestablish a databaseof 2,000 womeneligible for senior positions in thepublic sector andpublicadministration.At present, nearly half of senior management positions in civil service were held by women, according to a review, but only 11% of those jobs were top-tier posts. It is hoped that gender equality, including in senior positions, will improve government work and also be a signal to the private sector. It may also serve as an example for the Israeli Supreme Court. As far as the U.S. is concerned, the picture is varied. "Women are generally better represented in government and the judiciary than in the private sector, including as arbitrators," sai d Sarah Biser, a New York-based partner at Fox Rothschild LLP, who co-chairs the firm's Construction and International Arbitration Groups. “About 34% of all state and federal judges in the U.S. are women. Notably, that same percentage held in the United State Supreme Court where, before Justice Ginsburg’s death, three of the nine justices were women, and President Trump has now nominated another woman, Amy Coney Barrett—to replace Justice Ginsburg. Women have had a major impact on the Court—particularly Justice Ginsburg, who authored many major decisions in her 27 years on the Court, including her opinion in United States v. Virginia , which held that qualified women could not be denied admission to Virginia Military Institute, a private military academy. The other two women on the court—Justices Elana Kagan and Sonya Sotomayor—have each brought different perspectives and backgrounds to the Court, and Judge Barrett is likely to do the same. Notably, women in the United States are divided over Judge Barrett, largely over concerns about her views on abortion.” Mixed bag in the U.S.