Who ever heard of a Jewish communal meeting starting at 9.30pm, and ending 45 minutes later with a full list of agreed action points by each group member? Working with the new executive of the Alliance of Jewish Women and their Organisations (AJWO)has been extraordinary – sleeves rolled up, dinner washed up and computer switched on ready for an online power brainstorm. As we launched the findings this week from our consultation, we saw British Jewish women demanding, and ready to implement change.
The figures spoke for themselves, with 77 percent of more than 360 women consulted believing the Jewish community has still not reached gender equality. More than 50 percent believe women don’t have the same opportunities for advancement and recruitment in Jewish organisations as men (17 percent do), and 75 percent feel we are too often represented in the media by men (despite having a woman president of the Board of Deputies).
Ten years after the Commission on Women in Jewish Leadership, this consultation, What Jewish Women Want 2020, has asked women how they feel, but also what they want to do next….
