ABSTRACT
Israel is a small country of 21,500 square kilometres with approximately four million inhabitants. It is a country that prides itself on offering equal rights and opportunities to all its citizens, regardless of race, religion or sex. Differences in educational attainment between Israeli men and women can be explained to some extent in terms of the cultural norms prevalent in those countries from which a large proportion of adult Israelis have immigrated. Seven universities function in Israel, but none of them offers off-campus programmes. In 1974, it was decided to create Everyman's University (EU), a single mode distance teaching university. EU differs from other Israeli universities in two important respects: it operates by distance teaching; and it has a completely open admissions policy. In conclusion it seems fair to say that EU offers many women a unique chance to improve their education and skills. The equality of participation, persistence and achievement between men and women is certainly encouraging.
