At the same time, anti-Semitism in the United States and worldwide is creating safety concerns that are causing many Jewish women to hide their identities at work and in their communities.

By: Carol Ann Schwartz

By every measure, the past year was an extremely challenging one for Jewish and Zionist women. Hamas’s weaponization of sexual violence continues to go unchecked, highlighting anti-Semitic fault lines in the global fight against conflict-related sexual violence. At the same time, anti-Semitism continues to increase at an alarming rate in the United States and around the world, creating ever-present safety concerns that are causing many Jewish women to hide their identities at work and in their communities.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Accelerate Action” is meant to drive swift action for gender equality. It is well past time that the United Nations and the international community hold Hamas accountable for its sexual violence during the terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and against hostages it held in captivity since then.

It is also a critical moment for governments around the world to adopt and enact policies that help curtail the dangerous growth of anti-Semitism.

More than 500 days ago, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and went on a rampage, killing, raping, mutilating and kidnapping civilians, soldiers and anyone in their path. They slaughtered some 1,200 men, women and children. There is irrefutable evidence that Hamas systemically planned and executed these vicious acts. Last March, a U.N. report and testimony by released hostages, including Amit Sousanna, the first Israeli to speak publicly about being sexually assaulted while in captivity, confirmed our worst fears that gender-based violence was being weaponized against the hostages.

More than a year later, advocates continue to demand U.N. Secretary-General Guterres hold Hamas responsible for its crimes against humanity, including using rape as a weapon of war. While the most recent Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Report of the United Nations Secretary-General, released in 2024, found “reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the 7 October attacks,” it failed to name Hamas as the party responsible for these disgusting and vicious acts of gender-based violence, which, in turn, prevented the United Nations from adding Hamas to its sexual violence blacklist.

Since Hamas’s attacks, Hadassah has been publicly demanding that the world body stop holding up the prosecution of these crimes. We have mobilized more than 150,000 advocates from 118 countries and 119 organizations to demand action. Despite the published reports and widespread evidence, the United Nations continues to suggest the biased and anti-Semitic U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) be put in charge of yet another investigation—on top of existing reports and evidence—before they can act.

The U.N. Secretary-General’s most recent report found that conflict-related sexual violence increased 50% in 2023 from the previous year. This “free pass” given to Hamas for rape and other forms of abuse emboldens them to continue perpetrating these awful crimes against humanity. It also sends the message to terrorists and bad actors around the world that sexual violence will go unchecked. It is time for all nations to adopt an international protocol for responding to conflict-related sexual violence to ensure every instance of gender-based violence can be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

The first phase of the ceasefire deal has ended. Hamas rejected a proposal to negotiate a second phase of the deal and continues to hold nearly 60 hostages, more than half of whom are believed to have been killed. We must not rest until they are all home, and the world holds Hamas accountable.

We must also not rest until we have addressed the crisis levels of anti-Semitism that Jewish women have faced since the invasion. Hadassah’s report documenting this phenomenon, “From Fear to Resilience: Women Facing Anti-Semitism,” lays out the unique impact anti-Semitism is having on Jewish women’s everyday lives, relationships and work in the United States. The heartbreaking truth is that nearly two-thirds of Jewish women surveyed feel unsafe because being Jewish makes them a target. Over half of them have even taken steps to hide their identity—in the workplace, in their communities and online. Jewish women are dropping out of college, losing friends and being targeted at work, and many no longer feel safe wearing Jewish stars.

Anti-Semitism is a global problem. The United Nations released an “Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Anti-Semitism” earlier this year that recognized the sense of isolation and fear among Jews, though it remains to be seen how this plan will be implemented.

This International Women’s Day, we cannot forget both the Jewish women who suffered and died at the hands of Hamas, as well as global victims of conflict-related sexual violence. It is time to accelerate action and justice for the victims of Hamas’s terror and gender-based violence. Hamas must be listed in the “Annex to the 2025 Report on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence,” and countries must take steps to adopt an international protocol to respond to conflict-related sexual violence. It is also imperative that we strengthen policies against rising anti-Semitism and stand up against all forms of hatred. (JNS.org)

Carol Ann Schwartz is the 28th national president of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States with nearly 300,000 members and supporters in America and many more all over the world.