In recognition of the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, President Reuven Rivlin and his wife, Nechama Rivlin, met with the heads of the principal women’s organizations in Israel.
Among those present were Galia Wolloch, presideent of Na’amat, Prof. Rivka Lazovsky, World WIZO Executive, and Liora Mika, chairperson of Israel Emunah.
These organizations aim for changes in social policy that create gender equality in the family, at work, in society and the economy.
During the meeting, the president emphasized that the fight against violence towards women and girls and against violence in the family is not only a women’s issue: “Violence against women hurts all of us, the whole of Israeli society, and so this is an issue for all of us. It must be a fight that crosses gender, political camps and tribes.
“The implementation of the national plan for dealing with domestic violence must not be delayed,” he said. “The important issues of dealing with the problems of violence in the family are dealt with professionally and carefully by the committee and in the national plan for dealing with domestic violence. But the committee’s recommendations and the plan that was drafted on the basis of them must not just be words on paper.”
The president stressed that he sees the prime minister’s clear statement on the issue as an important step in ensuring the implementation of the current plans and for the budgets required for it.
“We have a moral responsibility to the women who have been murdered and to many other women, to them, their parents, their children and their relatives who have been murdered this year and in previous years. We did not manage to save them but we must act immediately and do everything we can to save the life of the next woman.”