| Sumario: | The underlying assumption of our study was that images of women in election campaigns reflect parties' ideological stance toward women's role in society and, at the same time, perpetuate worldviews, granting them further legitimization. In view of changes which took place recently in the Israeli political system, in the media environment, and in the social status of women, the study examines gender equality issues expressed in the 1996 campaign compared to the first Israeli TV election campaign in 1988. The study presents detailed quantitative and qualitative analyses of all the TV broadcasts included in the campaign. The results indicate that changes which took place in Israeli society were not reflected in the 1996 campaign. Contrary to expectations, persistent biases typical of traditional gender representations in the media prevailed. Moreover, women's issues were marginal. Factors related to women's status in Israeli society, the nature of Israeli politics, and the changing media environment which may account for these results are discussed. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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