The Role of Public Policy in Gender Inequality in the Arts in Israel

in Israel Studies Review
Author:
Tal Dekel Program head, Kibbutzim College, Israel tdekel@tauex.tau.ac.il

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Lior Elefant Researcher, Ben-Gurion University, Israel lior.elefant@gmail.com

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3167/isr.2023.380308
Keywords:
allocation of budgets; arts in Israel; gender analysis; inclusive policy in the arts; inequalities in arts; public policy; women artists
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Abstract

This article deals with Israel's cultural policy and public funding for the arts—a nascent, under-developed research field in Israeli scholarship. The article focuses on the plastic arts and film, presenting data about the system of budget allocation and the structure of relevant Ministry of Culture and Sports decision-making committees. The discussion takes a gender perspective, focusing on obstacles women artists face in accessibility to public budgets for the arts. These challenges, we argue, are compounded when considering additional and overlapping identity categories. We apply intersectional analysis—a perspective that considers positionality and social background, including gender, class, race, nationality, and religion—and conclude with suggestions for improving public policy for the arts.

Contributor Notes

TAL DEKEL is Head of the Visual Literacy Studies Program at Kibbutzim College, and was Chair of the Gender Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University. Dekel specializes in feminist theories, transnationalism, and critical cultural theory of ageism. She has published extensively in peer reviewed journals, her books are Gendered: Art and Feminist Theory (Cambridge Scholars publishing); Transnational Identities: Women, Art, and Migration in Contemporary Israel (Wayne State University Press); and Critical Looks at Ageism and Gender in Israeli Art (Open University Press). E-mail: tdekel@tauex.tau.ac.il

LIOR ELEFANT is a PhD candidate at the Sociology and Anthropology Department in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Chair of Israeli Women in Film and Television Forum, a member of the Israeli Arts and Culture Council, and a feminist media activist. Elefant deals with gender inequality in Israeli film industry and specializes in Gender, LGBTQ, and cultural activism. Among her research: “The Celluloid Ceiling: A Gender-Based Analysis of the Israeli Film Industry” (Elefant et al. 2021); “Feminist Art Activism in Israel: Subversive Strategies in Public Spaces” (Dekel and Elefant 2020). E-mail: lior.elefant@gmail.com

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Cover Israel Studies Review
Article Category:
Research Article
Page Count:
22
Keywords:
allocation of budgets; arts in Israel; gender analysis; inclusive policy in the arts; inequalities in arts; public policy; women artists
Print Publication Date:
01 Dec 2023
Online Publication Date:
01 Dec 2023
Copyright:
© Association for Israel Studies 2023

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