שתיל - שירותי תמיכה וייעוץ לקידום שינוי חברתי

Arab women activists face special challenges in their triple identities as Arab Israelis, as women and as people who work to effect change. One hundred fifty such women addressed the challenges they face in a SHATIL seminar in honor of International Women's Day, "The Arab Woman and Community Action in Arab Society," held on March 16.

Held in cooperation with the National Center for Parenthood and Family of Baqa Algharbiya's Qasame College, the day was part of SHATIL's Triangle Branch's activity aimed at encouraging civil society in the area.

In a presentation on Israeli Arab women's activism, Arabiyeh Mansour, an Arab Israeli social activist who also leads SHATIL's' current Bedouin Women's Rights Course, warned participants about letting others decide what they are going to do with their lives and encouraged them to work together with other women to create a community atmosphere that will enable women to be active. (I left a message to check spelling and quote with her.)

In a panel, three activists shared stories of their personal struggles and growth as well as their sources of support. One activist spoke about the challenges of trying to combine motherhood, social activism and her own education. She said she had to interrupt her studies for a year because she was not allowed to breastfeed her infant on campus. Another said that while she had a supportive husband, others in her village criticized her activism. At first she worked secretly and only after she gained inner strength, did she begin to act publicly. A third panelist said she married at 20 and postponed studying until her children were old enough. She earned her BA in education only at age 40, and today heads an educational NGO.

The day ended with a stand up comedienne whose critical jokes about women's status in Arab society enabled the participants to laugh at their predicaments.