| As in many democracies around the world, women remain grossly underrepresented in Israel's formal political arena, despite the legacy of Gold Meir and ostensible military equality. Does this lack of female leadership mean that women are simply not "political"? This study seeks the answer through investigation of recent developments in Israeli civil society. Over the past 10--15 years, there has been a flowering of politically-motivated women's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Israel. This study examines three aspects relating to this new NGO sphere: one, the reasons for the growth of NGOs; two, the kind of learning that occurs in these "new" political spaces; and three, the political and social implications of women's NGOs.; Because there is currently no way to account for the political ramifications of women's NGO activities, this study conceptualizes and defines a new term: political capital. Political capital, as a discursive contribution to literature, is considered to be distinct from social capital, but overlapping in some of its elements. Political capital is defined here as the possession of political skills, knowledge, norms and networks in combination with political activity. While political capital is latent in perhaps all social groups, this study assesses the conditions under which it is activated and grows. By examining political capital in women's NGOs, this study exposes why education often does not yield political impact unless a person or group has access to the public space in which to act.; By looking at the NGO arena, this study contributes meaningful data to literature on civil society and democratization, discussing in particular the relationship between political institutions and NGOs. By focusing on women's experiences, although political capital is applicable to any social group, this study informs feminist politics by exposing the gap between women's citizenship and political participation. The study concludes that politically-motivated women's NGOs provide unique opportunities for women's education and political advancement. |
