{{Short description|Israeli legal scholar and international women's rights advocate}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Professor | name = Ruth Halperin-Kaddari | native_name = רות הלפרין-קדרי | image = רות הלפרין-קדרי.jpeg | alt = | caption = Halperin-Kaddari in 2015 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1966|05|15}} | birth_place = | office2 = Member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women | term_start2 = 2006 | term_end2 = 2018 | occupation = Law professor | alma_mater = Yale Law School | awards = International Women of Courage Award }}
'''Ruth Halperin-Kaddari''' ({{langx|he|רות הלפרין-קדרי}}; born 15 May 1966) is an Israeli legal scholar and international women's rights advocate who is known for her work on family law, feminist legal theory, women's rights in international law, and women and religion. She was a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women from 2006 to 2018 and was the committee's vice chair during several terms.<ref>[http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CEDAW/Pages/Membership.aspx Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women], Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights</ref> She is professor of law at the Bar-Ilan University and is the founding academic director of the Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women. She is also involved in international academic collaborations on the theme of women, state, and religion, and participates in international litigations as an expert on Israeli family law.<ref name="The Rackman Center">{{Cite web|url=http://rackmancenter.com/us/%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%95%D7%AA/?lang=en|title=The Rackman Center}}</ref>
She was one of the first recipients of the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award for her work on international women's rights in 2007. She was ranked as one of the world's hundred most influential people in gender equality policy in 2018.<ref name="apolitical" />
==Career== [[File:Director Andrea Bottner of the U.S. Department of State with Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari.jpg|thumb|Director Andrea Bottner (left) of the U.S. State Department presenting the Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award to Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari (right)]]
Halperin-Kaddari is the daughter of Menachem Zvi Kaddari, a noted linguist and expert on ancient Semitic languages who was rector of the Bar-Ilan University.
She studied law at Bar-Ilan University, earning her LL.B. in 1989. She subsequently earned an LL.M. in 1990 and a Doctor of Juridical Science in 1993, both at Yale Law School in the United States. She is professor of law at the Bar-Ilan University; in 2001 she founded the Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women, a social-legal centre that works to advance gender justice, and she has served as the centre's academic director since its establishment.<ref>[http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/CEDAW/CVMembers/RuthHALPERIN-KADDARI.pdf Ruth Halperin-Kaddari], Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights</ref><ref>[http://law.biu.ac.il/en/node/372 Ruth Halperin-Kaddari], Bar-Ilan University</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180327084431/https://www.haaretz.com/religious-feminist-tells-it-like-it-is-1.5197215 Home Truths: A Religious Feminist Trailblazer Tells It Like It Is], ''Haaretz''</ref>
===United Nations roles=== She was elected by the state parties to a four-year term on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2006. She was vice chairperson of the committee from 2009 to 2010. At the time of her election, she was the committee's youngest member. She was reelected to her second term on the committee in 2010 and to her third term in 2014. She was again elected vice chairperson of the committee in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://law.umn.edu/events/human-rights-practice-series-international-womens-day-professor-ruth-halperin-kaddari|title=Human Rights in Practice Series for International Women's Day: Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari | University of Minnesota Law School|website=law.umn.edu}}</ref><ref>[https://www1.biu.ac.il/indexE.php?id=33&pt=20&pid=33&level=2&cPath=33&type=1&news=2203 Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari Elected for Third Time to Prestigious UN Committee], BIU, 2014-07-02</ref> On the committee she served for over a decade alongside the former French minister of gender equality Nicole Ameline and the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and UN under-secretary-general Pramila Patten.
During her term on CEDAW she led the successful adoption (in 2013) of a new General Recommendation on Economic Consequences of Family Relations and their Dissolution; and has conducted (in 2018) the Inquiry into North-Ireland's restrictive abortion regime, co-authored the UN report which concluded that the lack of provision for abortion in Northern Ireland is a form of violence against women.,<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-rights-abortion/northern-ireland-abortion-laws-violate-womens-rights-u-n-body-says-idUSKCN1G71CQ Northern Ireland abortion laws violate women's rights, UN body says], Reuters</ref> all of which led in October 2019 to decriminalization of abortions in Northern-Ireland, an unprecedented move in international human rights law.
===The Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women=== In 2001, she founded the Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Centre for the Advancement of the Status of Women, a social-legal centre that works to advance gender justice, and she has been the centre's director since then. Established at Bar-Ilan University’s Faculty of Law to improve women’s status and end gender discrimination and inequality in Israeli society, and to better women’s standing within family law, particularly Jewish family law.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rackmancenter.com/us/?lang=en|title=The Rackman Center}}</ref>
=== The Dinah Project === Halperin-Kaddari founded The Dinah Project with military prosecutor Sharon Zagagi-Pinhas and Israeli lawyer and judge Nava Ben-Or to pursue justice for victims of sexual violence in the October 7 attacks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-08 |title=Hamas used sexual violence as part of 'genocidal strategy', Israeli experts say |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mz8gxzg82o |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Honours== She is a recipient of numerous research grants and prizes, including two major grants from the Israel Science Foundation (2000, 2005); the Zeltner Award for Young Legal Scholars (2000); The Pogach Award for research in Jewish Law (2001-2002), The Belush Israel Feminist Award, US/Israel Women to Women (2002), The Dafna Izraeli Award for Gender Research (together with Dr. Bryna Bogoch) (2004), The Eleanor P. Jacobson Woman of Valor Award for Hadassah–Brandeis Institute Exceptional Research Award Applicants (together with Dr. Eyal Katvan) (2006), The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Research Award (together with Dr. Eyal Katvan) (2006), The International Award for Woman of Courage, U.S. State Department (2007), The Israeli Bar Association Central District Person of the Year in Law (2010), The "Ot Katan" Award for the Advancement of Gender Justice through Voluntary Work, awarded by the Ruach Nashit NGO in Israel (2014), The Rappaport Prize for Women Generating Change in Israeli Society (2016), in January 2017 she received the Knights of Quality (Academia category), awarded by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel. In 2018, she was named on Apolitical’s 100 most influential people in gender policy around the world.<ref name="apolitical">{{Cite web|url=https://apolitical.co/gender-equality-top-100/|title=Gender Equality Top 100: The Most Influential People In Global Policy}}</ref><ref name="The Rackman Center"/>
==Publications== *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3162979 Husband's Adultery as a Ground for Divorce], 7 Mehkarei Mishpat (Bar- Ilan Law Studies) 297-329 (1989) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4023936 "One who is Two: Maternal-Fetal Relationship and Substance Abuse during Pregnancy"], Plilim Journal,1997 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3517990 Redefining Parenthood], California Western International Law Journal, Vol. 29, No. 2, 1999 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4062052 Opening remarks in memory of Professor Ariel Rosen Zvi], 1999 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4025258 Gender Construction under Halakhic Marriage and Divorce Laws] Orthodox Feminism Conference, 1999 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2992572 Women, Religion and Multiculturalism in Israel], UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs 339-366 (2000) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3517802 More on Legal Pluralism in Israel], Bar-Ilan University Law Review, 2000 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4062048 Religion as a formative factor of the status of women in Israel], Bar-Ilan University, 2001 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4065386 Halakhic Marriage and divorce law and gender construction], Being A Jewish Woman, 2001 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4067602 The Boundary of Confronting the ‘Father’s Tongue’], Sayings of Mothers (Judaism Here and Now, Am Oved, 2002) *[https://www.jstor.org/stable/24269557 And Thou Shall Teach Them to Your Sons, Not to Your Daughters” – Inclusion and Exclusion of Women in Halakhic Language], 18 Mehkarei Mishpat (Bar-Ilan Law Studies) 353-372 (2002) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3149145 Towards Concluding Civil Family Law – Israel Style], 17 Mehkarei Mishpat (Bar-Ilan Law Studies) 105-157 (2001) *''[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4003318 Women in Israel: A State of Their Own]'', Pennsylvania University Press, 2004 *"[https://deliverypdf.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=776114008100076122086088009102113014038018014015006038127118104011069082076117012007106099010022103035124018029127012096084017126008014016039097084000119112099103123041011057120097125105076114006027068123094121 Tav Lemeitav Tan Du Mi-Lemeitav Armalu: An analysis of the Presumption], The Edah Journal, 2004 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4024069 Feminist Legal Theory, Social Change, and the Advancement of Women in Israel], Tarbut Democratit Journal, 2006 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2990392 Co-Optation, Competition and Resistance: Mediation and Divorce Professionals in Israel], International Journal of the Legal Profession, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2007 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3467371 Moral Considerations in Family Law and a Feminist Reading of Family Cases in Israel], Readings in Feminism, Gender and Law Journal, 2007 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2224008 The Feminist Proposal Is Really Ridiculous], Mehkarei Mishpat, 2009 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4065378 The Missing Women's Enigma: The Scope of the Get Refusals Predicament in Israel], Being A Jewish Woman (Vol.5, Tovah Cohen ed.) (2009) 83-95. *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4065536 Religion, Politics and Gender Equality among Jews in Israel], United Nations Research Institute for Social Development and Heinrich Boll Foundation, 2010 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3517778 Exposing Family Secrets: The Implications of Computerized Databases for the Creation of Knowledge in Family Law in Israel], Tel Aviv University Law Review, 2011 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2992606 Economic Consequences of Marriage and Its Dissolution: Applying a Universal Equality Norm in a Fragmented Universe], Theoretical Inquiries in Law, Vol 13, 2012 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2223909 Exposing Family Secrets: The Implications of Computerized Databases for the Creation of Knowledge in Family Law in Israel], Tel-Aviv University Law Review, 2013 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2223909 When the Woman Becomes a Lawyer]': Rosa Ginzberg and Her Battle to Become a Lawyer in Pre-State Israel, Bar-Ilan Press, 2013 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4060007 The Hidden Law], The Lawyer (The Israeli Bar Association Journal), April 2013, 112-115 (together with Adi Blutner) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2488485 The Ruling Rules in Custody Disputers – on the Dangers of the Parental Sameness Illusion in a Gendered Reality], Mishpat vemimshal, 2014 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4028017 Collaborative Divorce: Separate but Equal], The Lawyer (The Israeli Bar Association Journal), June 2014, 121-125 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4060032 Forward: Has the Time come for Civil Marriage in Israel? Introduction for Civil Marriage Debate], 6 Zehuyot 101 (Van-Leer Institute Journal for Jewish Culture and Identity) (2015) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3121677 Backlash Goes Global: Men's Groups, Patriarchal Family Policy, and the False Promise of Gender-Neutral Laws], Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, Vol. 28, 2016 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2954488 The Chaos in Child Support Decisions in Cases of Joint Physical Custody: Critique of the Caselaw and of the Shifman Committee's Report], IDC Law Review, Volume 19, 2017 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=2990479 International Human Rights and Israel as Seen in the Work of the Treaty Bodies: Do They Walk the Talk?], Israel Law Review, 2017 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3010763 The Chaos in Child Support Decisions in Cases of Joint Physical Custody: Critique of the Caselaw and of the Shifman Committee's Report], Mishpat Ve-Asakim (Law&Business) 1235-1269 (2016) (IDC Law Review) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3031326 F.A.R. 1709, 919/15 Anonymous - Presentation and Analysis], 2017 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3182529 Chief Justice Beinisch as a Female Judge] *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3306706 The Guiding Rules in Custody Disputes: On the Dangers of the Parental Sameness Illusion in a Gendered Reality], MISHPAT UMIMSHAL Journal, 2018 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3306712 Wife Support: From Perception of Difference to Perception of [In<nowiki>]</nowiki>Equality], Mishpat u'Mimshal, 2018 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4075595 The Doomsday Weapon], The article was published in the book ‘The Jewish Political tradition’ Volume 3, 2018 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=3750252 The Growing Trend of Divorcés without Divorce], Iunei Mishpat Journal, 2020 *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4080953 Women's entry and integration into Israel's legal Academia – History, Story, Non-Story and the MEN(tor), in Gender and Careers in the Legal Academy] 215-231 (Ulrike Schultz, Gisela Shaw, Margaret Thornton, Rosemary Auchmuty, eds.) (Hart Publishing, 2021) (together with Eyal Katvan) *[https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract%20id=4060107 Disturbing Alienation], Nekudot Mifgash Journal, 2022
== References == <references />
==External links== * [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf%20dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per%20id=2683613 Ruth Halperin Kaddari SSRN Author Page] * {{LinkedIn page|in/ruth-halperin-kaddari-908311146}} * [https://law.biu.ac.il/node/332 Ruth Halperin Kaddari Bar Ilan University- Faculty of Law page] * [https://rackmancenter.com/en/founding-head-of-the-rackman-center/ Ruth Halperin Kaddari Founding Head of the Rackman Center]
{{International Women of Courage Awards}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halperin-Kaddari, Ruth}} Category:Israeli legal scholars Category:International law scholars Category:Family law scholars Category:United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women members Category:Israeli feminists Category:Academic staff of Bar-Ilan University Category:Yale Law School alumni Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Israeli officials of the United Nations Category:Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award Category:Bar-Ilan University alumni