ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses how changes in Israeli society have resulted in patterns of greater gender equality in different social activities. It reviews issues of education, labor force, and occupational concentration. The chapter considers gender factors in political, religious, and military institutions and the role of women in contraception and abortion decisions as indicators of the relative independence of women from families and from men. Socioeconomic differences among ethnic groups are clear indicators of inequality, particularly when there is evidence of the generational persistence of social classes and when ethnic socioeconomic distinctiveness means economic disadvantage. The issues associated with the status of women and changing gender roles can be understood in the contexts that have informed the analysis of Israel's changing society. Education, money, technology, and the changing opportunity structure in the labor market set the stage for alterations in women's nonfamily roles.
