Red Robes and Red Flags: Israel’s Growing Struggle Over Women’s Rights

Years before the war in Gaza, a group known as the “Women in Red” staged silent marches, dressed in crimson robes and white caps, to protest Israel’s political direction.

Borrowing imagery from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the protestors warned that a proposed judicial overhaul could dismantle decades of progress in women’s rights.

At the time, Israel’s government dismissed the demonstrations as dramatic exaggeration, arguing that fears about gender equality and democracy were overstated and unrealistic.

Three years later, those warnings appear increasingly prescient as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition relies heavily on ultra-Orthodox and nationalist religious parties.

Alongside efforts to weaken the Supreme Court, historically a cornerstone of women’s equality, new legislation has expanded religious authority over civil and cultural life.

The decline is visible in global indicators, with Israel’s ranking in international gender equality indexes plunging sharply compared with its position only a few years ago.

Domestic research confirms this pattern, showing measurable declines in women’s political influence, economic power, and representation in public leadership roles.

Today, women hold only a small number of ministerial posts, lead no major political parties, and occupy virtually no permanent senior administrative positions.

Activists warn that expanded religious courts, rising violence against women, and increased gun access together signal a profound rollback, dragging women’s rights back decades.