International women’s day has come and gone for 2016. This year, as in 2015, the UN singled out Israel – and Israel only – for having a poor record in this arena.

Is it justified? Well, according to one stat quoted in the Hebrew press, over the past twelve months, there were 36,000 entries on Facebook to attack women. And twice that number was recorded in terms of detrimental comments (bitch etc.

On the other hand, there are more women than ever (28) in the Kenesset, Israel’s Parliament consisting of 120 representatives. This stat compares very favourably to the rest of the Arab world which can probably only average a paltry 5-6% female representation.

So let me expand on that very factor. Similar to other parts of the Middle East, Israel also has two large conservative pockets of society, where the role of the women is limited. To generalise somewhat, I am referring to the Ultra-orthodox Haredim and the Arab communities.

According to figures released by the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot, back in 2009, there were barely 1,500 ultraorthodox women working in Israel’s thriving high-tech community. By the end of last year, the number had jumped to 4,000. A further 3,000 will have finished training during 2016, ensuring that the trend will continue.

Let me spell out the point. The more women are seen and felt in the workforce – especially in positions of responsibility – the more they will be able to secure the respect of others. We have seen how the army no longer tolerates harassment. Women have reached the top positions in banking, the courts, ownership of football clubs and much more.

In a region of the world, where soldiers are allowed to rape in lieu of pay and women are executed without trial, Israeli women of all persuasion and ethnic background continue to show how they make a positive difference on society. It is sad if not down right pathetic that the UN uses its vast resources to condemn such vital progress.