Continuing the Fight against Violence toward Women: Authority of the Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women to be Expanded
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Continuing the Fight against Violence toward Women

  •   Continuing the Fight against Violence toward Women: Authority of the Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women to be Expanded
  • 8/14/2022
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    ​The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting today, approved the proposal of Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Meir Cohen and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev to expand the authority of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women to also include the murder of women by family members other than their spouses.
     
    In 2002, the Cabinet decided to establish the Inter-ministerial Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women, which currently functions as a subcommittee of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Handling and Preventing Family Violence, led by the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry.
     
    The purpose of the committee is to study and examine the processes for treatment and intervention before the act of murder, in order to learn the relevant lessons regarding improving interaction between government agencies and other relevant bodies in order to prevent and deal with future incidents. Representatives of the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry and the Israel Police are on the committee alongside representatives from the Health, Education, and Aliyah and Integration Ministries.
     
    According to data collected by the committee, only half of the women who were murdered in Israel in recent years were murdered by their spouses; in the other cases, the women were murdered by other family members. In 2021, the number of women who were murdered by a family member who was not their spouse was 3.5 times greater than the number of women who were murdered by their spouses.
     
    The Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry and the Public Security Ministry have proposed to expand the authority of the committee so that it may consider the murders of women by their spouses, as well as by family members other than their spouses in conjunction with spouses or other family members, regardless of who perpetrates the actual murder.
     
    The Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women is chaired by Welfare and Social Ministry Family, Children and Youth Branch Senior Director Ayala Meir, who said: "Over the years, the committee has derived very significant insights from the evaluations that have assisted us in advancing treatment and dealing with phenomena of the murder of women, and strengthening joint interaction between the systems providing treatment. Expanding the authority of the committee will enable us to evaluate many more incidents and acquire additional significant knowledge."
     
    Prime Minister Yair Lapid:
     
    “Expanding the authority of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women is another step in our relentless fight against violence toward women. I find it unacceptable that a woman can feel fear in her own home, and beyond comprehension that a woman could be killed by her father, brother, uncle or husband. This government will do everything in its power to protect women from evil and violence in general and in particular, from domestic violence.”
     
    Welfare and Social Affairs Minister Meir Cohen:
     
    "Expanding the mandate of the committee is designed to strengthen the ability of professionals to take a wider view of the murder of women, draw conclusions and develop more appropriate methods and services for use in the struggle against this phenomenon. We will spare no effort and no resources in fighting this difficult phenomenon and we are backing these efforts with essential government decisions that will allow the relevant officials to take action. I thank the Prime Minister and the Public Security Minister for their cooperation and for placing this important issue atop the agenda."
     
    Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry Director General Sigal Moran:
     
    "The insights that arise from the Inter-ministerial Committee on Examining Instances of the Murder of Women are very significant because they allow us to develop tools to prevent future instances by improving the capabilities of the protective and enforcement authorities. This important decision will provide us and our Public Security Ministry colleagues with critical support in the struggle against violence toward women."