Israel: Red shoes in memory of women victims of violence

@Idan Ben Shalom

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, powerful installations were unveiled on Tuesday in 13 cities and sites across Israel. Laid out on the ground, dozens of pairs of red shoes immediately draw the eye: each pair represents a woman murdered solely because she was a woman.

The initiative, led by the Bonot Alternativa movement, mobilized dozens of activists from the north to the south of the country. The exhibits were installed in emblematic locations, including the Knesset, as well as in Tel Aviv, Be’er Sheva, Modi’in, Nes Ziona, Holon, Pardes Hanna–Karkur, Netanya, Tzemach, Beit She’an, and Haifa. Red shoes—now an international symbol of the fight against femicide—stand in silent yet forceful rows, reminding viewers of a reality that can no longer be ignored.

And the action does not stop there. Throughout the week, Bonot Alternativa plans to set up 11 additional protest installations, including 34 reconstructed crime scenes—the exact number of women murdered since the beginning of 2025.

Each of these scenes will be marked by a silhouette bearing the name of a victim, in an effort to restore a face—and dignity—to those society has lost.

“These actions reflect the grim reality we live in. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women has become a daily struggle, with one woman killed every nine days on average. This is gender-based terror, tolerated by the Ministry of National Security, whose inaction enables the next murder to occur. We will never accept a reality in which the murder of a woman becomes routine. We call for the immediate implementation of the State Comptroller’s recommendations and the establishment of an inter-ministerial task force to address this violence,” Bonot Alternativa said in a statement.

Bonot Alternativa @Lior Segev

The installations, both symbolic and deeply moving, aim to remind the public that behind every statistic lies a life taken and a family shattered.

By choosing public spaces, the organizers hope to spark collective awareness and push institutions to take decisive action.

Caroline Haïat