Judith Baskin
Under the joint sponsorship of IROW and the Department of Judaic Studies, Michal Palgi of Haifa University delivered a lecture entitled "Women in the Changing Kibbutz" in mid-November. Dr. Palgi noted that from the establishment of its first collective settlement in 1910, the kibutz movement has held an ideology of equality among all the members. "A major effort of the movement," she noted "was to relieve women from household and childcare responsibilities to free them to pursue social and political activities in the community."
At present, however, kibutz work division parallels typical occupational profiles outside the kibbutz, with women predominating in education, childcare, food preparation and laundry work, while men more commonly choose production labor. One consequence is that women are perceived as providing services while men, who are seen as earning money for the kibbutz, come to be regarded as the "experts" in management and fiscal policy making, thereby garnering disproportionate power, status and respect.
"Changes in the organization of family life also have added to women's burdens," Palgi observed. Where virtually all kibbutzim once provided separate housing for children, who would spend a few hours of relaxation time daily with their parents, children rarely sleep in children's houses any more. This means that women assume the primary responsibility for child care and for the increase in household tasks.
A financial crisis as a result of general economic problems in Israel and the world also has led to a deterioration in women's position according to Palgi. As these financial problems intensify, women are blamed for not earning money for the kibbutz, or for being inefficient. And as the kibbutz looks for economic solutions, policy making tends to emphasize the enshrinement of male managers in powerful positions. "In this way," Professor Palgi stated, "the original democracy and rotation of leadership is undermined in the search for profitability, and women, especially, are shut out of opportunities for empowerment."
Palgi was pessimistic that issues of gender equality would be considered while the current economic crisis lasts. She commented on growing female dissatisfaction with kibbutz life, particularly among younger women, as women struggle with the contradiction of being "homemakers without homes."