Much fanfare surrounded the Israel Democracy Institute's 2023 report, with commentators lauding a "revolution" for women in the ultra-Orthodox sector.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
It is understandable why, for the first time ever, the employment of ultra-Orthodox women reached 80% – nearly matching the rates of non ultra-Orthodox women. Additionally, Israel saw a 63% increase of ultra-Orthodox women studying computer science with 15% of the sector enrolled in this field compared to 13.5% of non- ultra-Orthodox women.
However, analyzing this data and concluding that a "revolution" is afoot is misguided, as there is still room for progress in Israeli society regarding its attitudes surrounding ultra-Orthodox women.
These women do not aim to overhaul their lifestyle. On the contrary, they want to preserve their ultra-Orthodox way of life. Becoming the main breadwinners in their families is one pathway toward enabling them to achieve that goal, by making it more financially feasible for their husbands to continue studying Torah.
If women from any other demographic were the primary earners in their household – especially through working in professions typically dominated by men, and single-handedly changing the entire trajectory of their family's economy – they would be heralded for "breaking the glass ceiling." After all, if a wife chooses for herself a life of feminism and self-realization while the husband decides to dedicate his life being a stay at home dad, that is laudable.
But when it comes to ultra-Orthodox women, whose worldview often may not align with progressive values and whose husbands choose a life of Torah and faith, they are greeted with skepticism rather than praise and their achievements are downplayed.
This attitude mostly stems from a paternalistic outlook toward the ultra-Orthodox lifestyle, where there is an instinct to save them from their primitive, patriarchal world that allegedly oppresses women. This viewpoint has held many Israelis captive, as they view ultra-Orthodox women as invisible at best and serving as "wombs for hire" at worst.
And yet, reality proves otherwise. What the IDI report reveals is the power and strength in ultra-Orthodox women both inside and outside of their homes, and within the ultra-Orthodox community and the secular Israeli economy. Where many secular women were hesitant to become a part of the world of the STEM disciplines because it was deemed too "masculine," ultra-Orthodox women dove in head-first, ignored the barriers before them, and didn't doubt for a second that they could succeed in these professions.
It is important to note, though, that this was not an easy path for them to choose. These women had to face a variety of obstacles on the road to progress, including wage gaps and discriminatory hiring practices in the high-tech world.
As someone who has witnessed myriad ultra-Orthodox students graduate from the Jerusalem College of Technology and has been a partner in this transformation of ultra-Orthodox women, I can attest that these women often encounter skepticism from potential employers, who wonder how they will cope with multiple maternity leaves and perhaps have special requests in a workplace.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
While it took years of hard work to get the first ultra-Orthodox women into the workforce, at the end of the day, these women have demonstrated to employers that this is a very skilled sector with a strong work ethic.
For now, we can only hope that the public, employers, and Israeli society will abandon this paternalistic viewpoint – and look beyond the stereotypes to finally recognize the abilities and achievements of these talented women just as they are. In the meantime, let's not call it a revolution.
Prof. Dan Bouhnik is the rector of the Jerusalem College of Technology.
