Eti Livni

Livni points out that the Israeli political system can be an obstacle for women's advancement.  “It is not easy to break through the ceiling,” she says, but once you are in, “then you can fly.”  But Livni has not been satisfied with flying solo.  Instead, she works tirelessly to make political power more accessible to all Israeli women.  One way she has done this is by focusing her efforts on legislation intended to increase the number of women in the Knesset.

From her point of view, women's under-representation in government and in elite sectors of the military has contributed to the long exclusion of women from discussions over peace with the Palestinians.  Livni has made her voice heard by actively participating not only in the Knesset, but also in key international peace conferences.

Under the heightened pressure of working in a part of the world that has long been troubled by conflict, Livni's leadership has been both sensitive and courageous.  She has had to find a balance between her own strongly held views and those of her party.  In 2003, she was part of the public support group set up for an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative, which became known as the Geneva Accord.  But before the final meeting, her party leader, Yosef Lapid, asked her not to support the initiative.  After careful consideration, Livni resolved to honor Lapid's request and the need “to preserve Shinui's unity.” 

At the same time, Livni did not pull her support entirely from the peace initiative she believed in.  With striking openness and honesty, she faced the issue head on: “I wrote an article in a prominent paper [Haaretz – or the Nation] that the Geneva accord is not left wing or right wing … It is center, and it's pragmatic.  I wrote that it will be the solution in the future. Although I criticized a few issues in the proposed accord – dealing with the Palestinians' rights of return – I thought the Geneva accord was the right way to go.”

Livni then spoke with Lapid, the party leader.  “I told him that it is our role as a party to be in a coalition with the right wing party and push forward the peace initiative.  I told him that we cannot leave it [a peace process] only to the non-politicians and the civilians and other organizations.”  Astoundingly, Lapid decided to write an article himself urging politicians to get involved in peace initiatives and outlining four points that the party stood for.  One of them was the dismantling of some settlements in the Gaza Strip, which is now called the disengagement plan.

Taking a stance that, with remarkable transparency, addresses divergent concerns while remaining  true to one's own beliefs is a skill that Livni, like many women, is adept.  She has repeatedly promoted cross-party coalitions to support her initiatives and has worked together with Palestinian women leaders on issues of peace. 

Livni says that whenever party leaders look for a center-left woman who is willing to take the initiative in negotiating, she is usually approached.  This is no surprise, considering her track record; but Livni will not be satisfied until she has significant competition for the position of woman negotiator.  She continues pushing her initiatives for Israeli women to achieve equal representation in powerful institutions, not only by affirmative action, but also by demonstrating their added value to conflict resolution and peace building.  She herself has been an excellent example of this.