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Happening now: Knesset committee about defacing women’s pictures in the public sphere
I am glad that they’re framing it as violence against women and not “religious freedom”
In the past, there was a bill proposed to impose a heavy fine on people who defaced picture of women. But certain elements of the Knesset said that it wasn’t a fair punishment because the sector perpetrating it is too poor to pay the fines
The police is avoiding responsibility and saying that they don’t know the reason why women’s faces would be defaced and they can’t know that it’s gender-based without investigating. Meanwhile, a woman made a complaint on Dec 9 and the police closed the file without investigating
MK Oded Forer suggests that municipality have officers give a fine on the spot to ppl defacing women, much like a parking ticket
Also suggested: that 50% of public signs include women
Orly Erez-Likhovski describes the various suggestions that have been proposed but haven’t yet been implemented. In her experience, she says, as soon as there is enforcement of fines or other consequences, the phenomenon stops
The law to impose a fine was shot down in August. MK Yulia Malinovsky, who initiates this committee meeting, says she will raise it again in the Knesset in February
Btw, it wasn’t just the chareidi MKs who voted against the bill to impose a heavy fine on people who deface women’s pictures in the public sphere. Former Justice Minister Ayelet opposed it, for example
When advertisers know that their ads will be torn down if they include pics of women, they design male-only ads because it’s more economical. This creates a women-free ad space. When women can’t advertise, they’re economical opportunities are also diminished
MK Oded Forer says that the govt should foot the bill of paying for dealing with the defacement. When it becomes their financial burden, they’ll find a way to stop it
“Discriminating against half the population is violence and it needs to be treated as violence”
Conclusions by committee head:
1. We need an educational campaign so that people can understand why it is damaging and wrong
2. We need a law to impose heavy fines, enforced by the municipality
3. We need to reconvene the meeting and continue dealing with the problem
1. We need an educational campaign so that people can understand why it is damaging and wrong
2. We need a law to impose heavy fines, enforced by the municipality
3. We need to reconvene the meeting and continue dealing with the problem
