As a third nationwide Covid lockdown weighs on Israel’s economy, the Israeli Employment Service reported that more women were laid off or put on furlough over their male counterparts.
More than two-thirds – 68.5 percent – of Israel’s unemployed, as of the third lockdown, are women. Already, approximately 84,493 women have lost their jobs since the beginning of the lockdown which started on December 27 and has already been extended by the government to January 31.
The latest data reveals that the jobless rate for women is 2.2 times higher than the 38,855 figure for men. In January and February of 2020, two months before the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, the percent of unemployed men (49.4%) was nearly identical to that of women (50.6%).
Where single women are the head of the household, the impact of losing income is devastating and immediately places the already struggling family below the poverty line.
That’s precisely what Meir Panim’s Restaurant-Style Soup Kitchens encounter daily. As COVID lockdowns take a toll on society and the country’s economy, more and more single-parent families suffering from food insecurity are finding themselves at Meir Panim’s doors for the first time in their lives.
Meir Panim has done an impressive job keeping up with this ever-increasing influx of families who are new to the world of poverty…but there’s more to the problem. The economic crisis is not only increasing the demand for Meir Panim’s services but it is also straining its financial resources to keep up with the higher costs of the production of meals.
That’s why it is now turning to friends of Israel around the world to open their hearts and take action for their brothers and sisters abroad.
Can you take a moment to support Meir Panim’s efforts?
If the answer is yes, make your donation online at www.mpdonate.org, through our toll-free number (1877) 736-6283, or by mail to American Friends of Meir Panim at 88 Walton Street.
Suite B1 Brooklyn, NY 11206-4479. All donations made in the US are tax-deductible under EIN# 20-1582478.
This COVID crisis may pass, but the hunger and financial burden felt by poverty-stricken families won’t. So if you’re able to, please consider donating to Meir Panim today.
