Hundreds Of Jewish Women In US On Sex Strike To Protest Unfair Divorce Laws

800 women refused to sleep with their husbands last Friday night, a time when intimacy is considered especially holy.

In a bold act of protest, over 800 Hasidic women in Kiryas Joel, New York, have begun a sex strike. Their target is a centuries-old Jewish law that makes it extremely difficult for women to obtain a divorce, according to The Metro. "We as a community are not doing enough for the Agunah's, and we need to do more...but as someone who waited for my Get, begged for my Get, prayed for my Get...this (Intimacy strike) is not the correct way."Part 2. pic.twitter.com/HHCrm3h1sE

The women say the current system, requiring a husband's written permission (get) for a divorce, leaves them trapped in unhappy and even abusive marriages. They hope the strike will pressure their husbands and the wider community to advocate for legal reforms, as per the news outlet.

However, the protest has sparked controversy within the insular community. Striking women have faced social media harassment and even been pelted with eggs. Kiryas Joel's strict religious codes also require women to seek rabbinical approval before reporting domestic violence to the police.