Israel's ultra-Orthodox mull bigger role for women

[sabbat hunter]

http://www.mail.com/news/world/3277224-israels-ultra-orthodox-mull-bigger-role-women.html#.7518-stage-hero1-8

[quote]
Some haredi women are now demanding change. A group called "No Voice, No Vote" has pledged to boycott haredi parties that don't include female lawmakers. "There is an absurd situation in Israel where women cannot run for two political parties," said group leader Esty Shushan, a 37-year-old haredi woman who runs a communications business. "We are saying, 'Don't give your vote to a party that doesn't think you're qualified to run.'"

The group was established before the last elections in 2013, but Shushan said it has stepped up its efforts ahead of these polls. The group has spread its message through social media, and supporters of the cause have plastered religious neighborhoods with posters calling for women's inclusion in politics. In response, haredi newspapers and radio stations are devoting column inches and airtime to debating the issue.

The group counts dozens of members, but it's impossible to know how broad its support is because many in the community conceal such opinions for fear of being ostracized. It has nearly 5,000 likes on Facebook, but not all of those are necessarily from ultra-Orthodox users.[/quote]