PROJECTS
TRAINING & LEADERSHIP
Hanivcheret (The Team):
Promoting social and political activism among Haredi women.
Our seminar, designed for aspiring leaders, is made up of 14 sessions, including two longer events. Participants study a wide variety of topics, learn to understand the challenges and opportunities that ultra-Orthodox women face when attempting to change the social and political status quo and oppose their exclusion from political and social spaces. We teach feminist thought, impart relevant knowledge and skills introduce participants to strategies of social change.
Two of the graduates of our first course ran in recent municipal elections, a major achievement for us. Others are actively involved in various social and political initiatives.
On the heels of this success, we are launching a second course scheduled to open March 2019 in conjunction with WIZO.
SKILLS FOR ACTIVISTS
In order to reinforce participants upon completion of their leadership courses, and to provide other activists with relevant knowledge and skills, Nivcharot sponsors regular meetings, conferences, seminars, and workshops.
Our latest initiative is a workshop for our activists designed to help them develop their public speaking skills.
LOBBING
FROM INVISIBILITY TO VISIBILITY: The Ultra-Orthodox Women’s Knesset Lobby
Launched in March, 2018, the Lobby was founded to provide visibility and voice for the advancement of legislation relating to all aspects of the lives of ultra-Orthodox women and to encourage the inclusion of critical voices that have, until now, been silenced by the establishment.
As part of this Lobby, Nivcharot produces position papers to inform Knesset members, encourages collaboration with like-minded groups, and promotes media activism to grant visibility to these political activities.
ADVOCACY
Thanks to our efforts, the Knesset Caucus for Haredi Women was launched in March 2019. We regularly participate in various Knesset committees, and submit white papers. We plan to intensify these efforts over 2019, including commissioning relevant research.
A serious victory for us was the July 2018 recommendation of the High Court to the Agudat Yisrael party to amend the clause that prevents women from joining their ranks.
AWARENESS
Nivcharot promotes frank and open conversations designed to counter trends of extremism and exclusion and to raise awareness among ultra-Orthodox women to issues of equal representation, gender equality, and more.
We make strategic use of social media platforms, including: closed Facebook pages for ultra-Orthodox men and women so they can freely discuss feminist and taboo issues, such as divorce, birth control, arranged marriages, sexual harassment and abuse and more. Our pages attract more than 15,000 voices from all sectors of Israeli society; in addition, we use Instagram for communication with English-speakers.
Our monthly newsletter brings critical issues to the attention the hundreds of ultra-Orthodox subscribers.
