Negotiating Equality: Gender, Work and Cultural Belonging in Australia and Israel

Abstract This paper presents a comparative intersectional analysis of gender, work, and cultural belonging in Australia and Israel. Drawing on intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1989), gender-regime theory (Connell, 2009, 2015), and gendered institutions theory (Acker, 1990, 2006), it examines how national identity, religion, and social policy interact to shape women’s labour participation, leadership opportunities, and family life. Australia’s liberal–secular framework emphasises individual merit and market participation, while Israel’s hybrid model integrates religious pluralism, demographic mobility, and security imperatives. The study highlights how formal equality mechanisms—such as parental leave, pay-equity legislation, and childcare reform—operate differently when filtered through distinct cultural logics of care, faith, and belonging. Both nations reveal enduring asymmetries that persist beneath policy progress, demonstrating that gender equality is not a fixed achievement but a continual negotiation between values, institutions, and lived experience. The paper concludes with contextually grounded policy recommendations aimed at improving inclusivity and representation across diverse communities. Through this dual analysis, the study reveals how shared commitments to equality manifest differently when filtered through distinct cultural logics of care, faith, and belonging. The research concludes that gender equality is not a static achievement but a continual process of negotiation between values, institutions, and lived experience. Contextually grounded policy recommendations are offered for both nations to strengthen inclusivity, representation, and the recognition of diverse cultural identities. This paper contributes to global conversations on gender, work, and intersectional justice.