SHARECountry Data
Israel (State of Israel) has a Unicameral parliament with the use of voluntary party quotas. 29 of 120 (24%) seats in the Knesset / Parliament are held by women.
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Unicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- For the Single/Lower House? No
- For the Sub-National Level? No
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Adopted by political parties? Yes
Is there additional information?...
- Yes
Last updated: Mar 8, 2019
Single/Lower House
Knesset / Parliament
| Total seats | 120 |
| Total Women | 29 |
| % Women | 24% |
| Election Year | 2019 |
| Electoral System | List PR |
| Quota Type | No legislated |
| Election details | IDEA Voter Turnout - IPU Parline |
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Official name | Details, Quota provisions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel Labor Party | Ha'avoda [ILP] | At least 20% of the party list must be filled with women, 2 out of each 10 names. The (minimal) reserved places on the party’s candidates list are: 5, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29 (and also 34, 36, 39, 42, 45). | |
| Meretz-Yachad | At least 40% of each sex must be represented on the party list, 2 out of each 5 names (besides the 1th on the list, which is the party's chairman or chairwoman). The (minimal) reserved places for the under-represented sex on the party’s candidates list are: 4, 6, 9, 11 | ||
| Likud | The (minimal) reserved places for women on the party’s list of candidates are: 10, 20, 24, 29, and 34. | ||
| The Jewish Home | Haba'it Ha'ye'hudi | The (minimal) reserved places for women on the party’s candidates list are: 4, 8. | |
| National Democratic Assembly | Balad | At least 33% of the party list must be filled with women candidates, 1 out of each 3 names. |
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. When a country has legislated quotas in place, only political parties that have voluntary quotas that exceed the percentage/number of the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Additional Information
Sources
Ha'avoda - The Labor Party's Regulations for the Primaries for the 19th Knesset, p. 16,
Likud - Regulations for the Election of Likud Party's Candidates for the 19th Knesset, article 16,
The Constitution of Meretz-Yahad, article 61,
Haba'it Ha'ye'hudi - Party's Regulations for the Election of Chairman, Candidates for the Knesset, Convention and Councils of Branches, article 37c,
Additional reading
- For information about women in the 2006 Italian election, see the Department of Rights and Equal Opportunities website: www.pariopportunita.gov.it/DefaultDesktop.aspx?doc=969
- Guadagnini, M. 2005. ‘Gendering the debate on political representation in Italy: a difficult challenge’, in Lovenduski, J. et al (eds) State Feminism and Political Representation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 130-152.
- Levin, Leah Simmons. 1999. ‘Setting the Agenda: The Success of the 1977 Israel Women's Party.’ Israel Studies 4, no. 2, p. 40.
- Guadagnini, Marila. 1998. ‘The Debate on Women’s Quotas in Italian Electoral Legislation.’ Swiss Political Science Review, 4:3, pp. 97-102. http://www.spsr.ch/Debates/QUOT/QUOT2.pdf
- Herzog, Hanna. 1996. ‘Why So Few? The Political Culture of Gender in Israel,’ International Review of Women and Leadership 2, no. 1. p. 11.
- Nelson, B. & N. Chowdhury (eds.). 1994. Women and Politics Worldwide, London: Yale University Press.
- The Knesset: The Israeli Parliament. http://main.knesset.gov.il/Pages/default.aspx