Warnings in Crimson: Israel’s Women Confront a Growing Conservative Backlash

Long before the current crisis, the “Women in Red” appeared in public spaces wearing crimson robes and white caps, silently protesting what they feared was an assault on women’s rights.

Inspired by Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the group warned that Israel’s proposed judicial overhaul could unravel decades of progress toward gender equality and civil protections.

Three years later, those warnings feel less symbolic as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition steers Israel toward a more religious and socially conservative political order.

Central to critics’ concerns are efforts to weaken the Supreme Court, traditionally a key institution safeguarding women’s equality and limiting religious control over civil life.

The decline is increasingly visible in global measurements, with Israel dropping sharply in international gender equality rankings after years of being considered a regional leader.

Domestic studies echo this trend, as Israel’s Gender Index reports notable declines in women’s political influence, economic power, and presence in senior leadership roles.

Women’s representation in government has thinned dramatically, with few female ministers, no women leading major parties, and none appointed as permanent ministry directors.

Proposed legislation expanding the authority of state-run religious courts has intensified fears, as critics argue these male-only institutions systematically disadvantage women in family and financial disputes.

Women’s rights advocates warn that these legal changes, combined with rising violence and femicide, represent a dangerous rollback, dragging Israeli women backward after generations of hard-won gains.