Kayan Feminist Organization invites you to check the November Edition of our newsletter. Come and explore our new, cool blog, including stories of empowerment, and see how Kayan is making a difference in the life of Arab women in Israel.
Check us at: http://kayanfeminist.wordpress.com/
Thanks and hope you enjoy our new blog.
Kayan Team
November 10, 2010
August 15, 2010
Welcoming New Staff, Board and Controlling Committee
Reem Zoabi-Abu Ishak is Kayan's new second Project Coordinator for community and empowerment projects. Since April, together with Rafah Anabtawi, she facilitates the projects "Jusur (Bridges) – Developing and Institutionalizing the Grassroots Movement of Arab Women in Israel" and "An Active Approach towards Personal Economy". Reem holds a BA in social work and an MA in Administration and Community Organizing from the University of Haifa. We give a warm welcome to Reem and wish her all the best in her new position!
A new Board of Directors and a new Controlling Committee were elected at Kayan's Annual Assembly on June 17, 2010. Re-elected to the Board of Directors were Umayma Diab, Amal Ziada, Taghreed al Sayyid and Shahira Shalabi. New board members are Yasmin Hajj, formerly a member of the Controlling Committee, Ahlam Hijazi, a nurse working at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, and Nevine Rizkalla, who works for the Haifa Rape Crisis Center. Re-elected to the Controlling Committee was Reem Assad, next to new member Manal Saabneh, a former Board member.
Thanks to Kayan's Interns
Kayan would like to thank Rachael Levy and Danielle Stouck from the United States, who interned for Kayan during the summer. Rachael and Danielle worked in fundraising and public relations, researching donors in the United States, updating Kayan's website and profiles on social networking sites, and much more.
Rachael Levy was in Haifa as an undergraduate student studying abroad at the International School at Haifa University. She normally studies Political Science at the American University of Paris. "Volunteering with Kayan allowed me to learn more about the challenges the Arab women of Israel face and how they are taking matters into their own hands to better their status", says Rachael. "It's not only an important cause but a very inspiring one, too. Despite my lack of Arabic skills and broken Hebrew, Kayan and also the Arab women of Haifa I met through Kayan were very welcoming and helped me understand what it means to be an Arab woman in Israel."
Danielle Stouck is a student of Middle Eastern Politics and Human Rights at Columbia University in New York City. "Working for a feminist organization is truly an incredible experience", Danielle says. "All of Kayan's employees are women, which creates a really nurturing and welcoming environment. The Arab women who come into the office in need of help are immediately greeted by a team of strong, determined, and successful women who understand the obstacles that women face in the traditional, conservative Arab society. I loved working with women to achieve equality and freedom for women".
Rachael Levy was in Haifa as an undergraduate student studying abroad at the International School at Haifa University. She normally studies Political Science at the American University of Paris. "Volunteering with Kayan allowed me to learn more about the challenges the Arab women of Israel face and how they are taking matters into their own hands to better their status", says Rachael. "It's not only an important cause but a very inspiring one, too. Despite my lack of Arabic skills and broken Hebrew, Kayan and also the Arab women of Haifa I met through Kayan were very welcoming and helped me understand what it means to be an Arab woman in Israel."
Danielle Stouck is a student of Middle Eastern Politics and Human Rights at Columbia University in New York City. "Working for a feminist organization is truly an incredible experience", Danielle says. "All of Kayan's employees are women, which creates a really nurturing and welcoming environment. The Arab women who come into the office in need of help are immediately greeted by a team of strong, determined, and successful women who understand the obstacles that women face in the traditional, conservative Arab society. I loved working with women to achieve equality and freedom for women".
Kayan’s General Assembly 2010 Held in Majd al Krum
As every year, Kayan’s members, staff and board met in June to evaluate outcomes of projects and activities of the last twelve months, and to discuss and vote upon the work plan and budget for the coming year. This year’s annual meeting was held in Majd al Krum in the Galilee. The meeting was continued in July with a two-day retreat in Nazareth, where Board and staff members developed new strategies for Kayan's programs and for the organization as a whole.
Gaining Public Transportation, Arab Women Make History
Israel's Transportation Ministry announced in July that for the first time in Israel’s history, public transportation services will be offered to Arab settlements. Within two months, new public transportation bus lines will begin operating in Arab villages in the North and Center of Israel. Public transportation is planned to be introduced into all Arab towns and villages.
This is an unprecedented success for the rural Arab women who fought for mobility in their localities over the course of six years, through the project Women Demand Mobility facilitated by Kayan – Feminist Organization. Unable to travel from place to place, they were cut off from the work-force and economic activity, from health and social services, from educational institutions, and from participation in their communities.
"Friends, I want to attend an empowerment workshop, but it is difficult for me to come. If there is no man to drive me, I have to go by foot for an hour!" said a woman in Kayan`s empowerment group in 2003. This statement initiated the project, whose goal has been to bring public transportation to all Arab towns and villages in Israel. At first, the women simply accomplished for themselves what the state would not do for them. Only later, they realized that a reliable and sustainable service needs involvement from the state. This was the beginning of a major advocacy campaign directed towards the authorities, carried by women’s pressure groups in numerous villages, leading to today's success.
This is an unprecedented success for the rural Arab women who fought for mobility in their localities over the course of six years, through the project Women Demand Mobility facilitated by Kayan – Feminist Organization. Unable to travel from place to place, they were cut off from the work-force and economic activity, from health and social services, from educational institutions, and from participation in their communities.
"Friends, I want to attend an empowerment workshop, but it is difficult for me to come. If there is no man to drive me, I have to go by foot for an hour!" said a woman in Kayan`s empowerment group in 2003. This statement initiated the project, whose goal has been to bring public transportation to all Arab towns and villages in Israel. At first, the women simply accomplished for themselves what the state would not do for them. Only later, they realized that a reliable and sustainable service needs involvement from the state. This was the beginning of a major advocacy campaign directed towards the authorities, carried by women’s pressure groups in numerous villages, leading to today's success.
News from "JUSUR (Bridges) – Developing and Institutionalizing the Grassroots Movement of Arab Women in Israel"
This community-organizing project provides a framework for local projects for women in Arab communities. In northern Israel, Kayan helps to establish local women’s groups, and trains and mentors them to help in their development. The women’s groups work to voice their needs and establish projects to transform needs into demands, and demands into rights.
"Women's Activism for Social Change" Opens Third Round
For the third consecutive year, Kayan has teamed up with Kidma – Project for the Advancement of Women at the University of Haifa, for a five-month long course "Women for Social Change". The course focuses on training Arab women in Israel in effective and successful community leadership. Seventeen women from nine towns and villages started meetings in May, among them six participants of community projects that Kayan has helped establish in recent years.
Forum of Arab Women Leaders Continues PR Training
Eleven leaders of women’s community organizing projects came together in Haifa in April for the second meeting of 2010 of the Forum of Arab Women Leaders. The meeting continued the training in Public Relations begun during the February meeting. Sanaa Hammoud, founder and head of the Cinèmedia Media & Communications Service, provided an overview on the media in Israel and media contacts for social change. The leaders also learned about how to appear in the media and tried out what they learned in simulation exercises that were recorded and evaluated.
New Community Projects Started in Nahef and Majd al Krum
Kayan started mentoring two new community projects in the villages of Nahef and Majd al Krum in the Galilee, supporting two women's community organizers who facilitate the women's group. The new projects aim at activating local women and exposing them to feminist outlooks. After this, they will start surveying the needs of local women and developing projects to fulfill them.
"Nahef, for example, is a conservative village. Kayan held women's empowerment groups in Nahef ten years ago, but local women have never before organized community projects", says Project Coordinator Rafah Anabtawi. "Women there are very afraid to speak up, fearing that negative rumors will spread in the village and that they will have to bear the consequences".
"Nahef, for example, is a conservative village. Kayan held women's empowerment groups in Nahef ten years ago, but local women have never before organized community projects", says Project Coordinator Rafah Anabtawi. "Women there are very afraid to speak up, fearing that negative rumors will spread in the village and that they will have to bear the consequences".
News from Local Community Projects
The group “Arabeh Women for Change” from the village of Arabeh in the Galilee organized two events for families in cooperation with the municipal library.
News from the Legal Department
Kayan’s Legal Department counsels and represents individual women in cases of family law, social rights, workers' rights, and rights of victims of crimes. Through lectures and publications, the department educates women about their legal rights. In addition, legal advocacy initiatives directed at various legal and governmental authorities contributes to improving the legal status of Palestinian women in Israel.
New Publication about Dismissal Compensation
Kayan's new brochure "Dismissal Compensation" explains in simple language the complex legal matters surrounding the right of women workers to compensation in cases of dismissal, alerting women of that right and of the amount of money legally due them. The brochure details the circumstances under which women are entitled to compensation even if they resign from the job voluntarily; for instance, for childbirth, or in cases where there is a need to seek protection from domestic violence in a women's shelter. The brochure can be downloaded at: http://www.kayan.org.il/Public/publications/Piturim.pdf
New Publication about National Security Insurance Contributions
"Rights and Obligations of Women as to National Security Insurance Contributions" is the title of Kayan's new brochure, encouraging uninsured women to pay the mandated monthly insurance premium amounts so as not to forfeit their social rights. Many women are unaware that they have to pay contributions, and wrongly believe that they are insured, including unmarried women who are unemployed and do not claim unemployment benefits, married women whose husbands are not employed and do not have social insurance, and pupils and students above the age of 18. The brochure details the process of payment and the consequences of failing to do so.
New Publication about Civil and Mixed Marriage
Kayan's new brochure "Civil and Mixed Marriage" talks about the lack of civil marriage in Israel, where only religious parties have the authority to wed couples, and the legal details of a civil marriage abroad and its registration in Israel. One target group of the publication is couples with mixed religions, who cannot get married in Israel.
A civil marriage abroad has surprising legal implications for the divorce procedures, explains the brochure. Same-religion couples must still divorce in their religion's court. Only mixed couples can be divorced in a civil procedure, as no religion has authority.
"Divorce of civil marriages is a gray area in law and very complicated", Legal Department Coordinator Shirin Batshon-Khoury relates. "The message conveyed by such legislation is that you cannot avoid the religious family courts. This reinforces their vast authority in Israel."
Roundtable Discusses Obedience Regulations in Religious Family Law
On July 1st, Kayan held a roundtable on the obedience regulation in Sharia law in Israel. The law prohibits a wife from leaving the marital home without her husband's consent. If she does, he can apply to court for an order forcing her to return. While this is not enforced in Israel, women also lose their right to alimony through successful obedience claims against them.
Key participants were the Director of the Sharia Courts Adam Abzak, and the Coordinator of Kayan's Legal Department Shirin Batshon-Khoury, in addition to private lawyers and representatives of women's NGOs. Kayan demanded to abolish the husband’s option of applying for obedience unless related to alimony claims. This would spare women humiliation and anxiety about being forced to return to their husbands. "While a total abolishment of the law is preferable, it is very difficult to realize due to the link to alimony rights", says Batshon-Khoury.
Another demand is to replace the obedience practice by a positive procedure of mediation between the spouses. "Creating a mediation procedure will open an opportunity for couples to try to come to an agreement in a positive way and will prevent men from using the obedience option as tool for humiliating or pressuring the woman,” says Batshon-Khoury.
Kayan's demands were greeted with much agreement by the lawyers present at the roundtable, as well as by Kayan's beneficiaries who had discussed the topic beforehand.
Training Volunteers for Giving Emotional Support to Clients
In April, Kayan and the Haifa Rape Crisis Center started training volunteers in providing emotional support for clients of Kayan's Legal Department and the Haifa Rape Crisis Center. The objective of the training is to improve the quality and quantity of the emotional support Kayan gives to its clients, who often have been exposed to domestic or sexual violence. After their graduation in September, the four Arab women, 24-30 years old, will answer calls from women who seek free legal consultation and representation.
Forum for Sexual Harassment Prevention Discusses New Strategies
The Forum of Appointees for Sexual Harassment Prevention, aimed at exchange of information and discussion among the appointees at Arab local authorities, met for the third time in June in Kayan's offices. The meeting developed new strategies of work for the Forum together with the participants and based on their expectations, in order to deal with the problem that most local authorities do not back up the appointees.
Educating about legal protection against Sexual Harassment
Thirty women from two Catholic and a Maronite church in Haifa attended a lecture about sexual harassment prevention by Kayan's lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud in May. The lecture sparked much discussion among the attendees, most ranging between the ages of 50-70. Subjects discussed included whether sexual harassment was a problem within the Arab community, and if it was related to provocative clothing and behavior of the victims.
"I quoted research showing that a high proportion of women fall victim to sexual harassment of different severity, women from all layers of society", relates Alhan Nahhas-Daoud. "After the lecture, every single woman told me about a case of sexual harassment, from personal experience or from hearsay. Three women sought out legal consultation."
Another training session on sexual harassment prevention was given to 20 municipal workers at the local council of Yafia, as part of a program organized by the Women’s Budget Forum.
Court Agrees to Hear Kayan's Legal Opinion in Celebrity Sexual Assault Case
Kayan was granted amicus curiae status in a civil case of compensation for sexual molestation against businessman Ofer Glazer, filed by a nurse who had been hired to take care of his wife. Glazer was convicted in criminal proceedings in 2007 and sentenced to six months in prison. With their involvement upon request of the claimant, Kayan, the Union of Rape Crisis Centers and Tmura Center aim to raise public awareness for the economic damage and costs of sexual harassment.
First Survey on Sexual Harassment at Work by Israeli Government Body Published
The Ministry of Labor, Trade and Industry published the results of a new survey on sexual harassment at the workplace. Among the results of the survey is that 40% of the women in Israel have experienced sexual harassment on the job. This first-time ever study on the subject in Israel, which was implemented by a governmental body, was initiated and conducted in collaboration with an action group for the advancement of gender equality in the workplace, coordinated and created by Shatil - the New Israel Fund's Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Israel. Kayan is a member of the group, alongside the Union of Rape Crisis Centers, Mahut Center and Tmura Center.
A Case from the Legal Department: Why Should Your Children Stay With You?
When R. divorced from her husband in 2004 and was granted custody over her two children in the public family court, she couldn’t have imagined that six years later, she would have to explain in front of the Sharia Court why her children should stay with her. R. was brought to court again over custody rights by her ex-husband, on legal grounds of her remarriage to a “stranger”. Under Sharia Law, if the woman remarries to a stranger, (i.e. not a relative of the children’s father) she loses custody over the children.
"The Sharia Court violated the rule of law in this case in two regards", says lawyer Shirin Batshon-Khoury who represents R. in the case, free of charge. "First, the court asked my client to prove why it is in the best interest of her children that she maintains custody rights, instead of asking the plaintiff for proof why transferring custody to him would be in the best interest of the children. Such proof does not exist; on the contrary, opinions from the social welfare office show that her care for the children is exemplary. Also, the Sharia Court's decision ignores several decisions of the High Court of Justice, obliging it to implement civil and not Sharia law.
Second, in my view, the Sharia Court has no authority in this case in the first place as the case was decided before in the public family court, and all further handlings should take place in this court as well."
Recently, Batshon-Khoury went to High Court of Justice in order to stop the custody procedures until Kayan's claims were decided upon.
"The Sharia Court violated the rule of law in this case in two regards", says lawyer Shirin Batshon-Khoury who represents R. in the case, free of charge. "First, the court asked my client to prove why it is in the best interest of her children that she maintains custody rights, instead of asking the plaintiff for proof why transferring custody to him would be in the best interest of the children. Such proof does not exist; on the contrary, opinions from the social welfare office show that her care for the children is exemplary. Also, the Sharia Court's decision ignores several decisions of the High Court of Justice, obliging it to implement civil and not Sharia law.
Second, in my view, the Sharia Court has no authority in this case in the first place as the case was decided before in the public family court, and all further handlings should take place in this court as well."
Recently, Batshon-Khoury went to High Court of Justice in order to stop the custody procedures until Kayan's claims were decided upon.
News from “An Active Approach towards Personal Economy”
The majority of Arab-Israeli women do not know their rights and entitlements from national social welfare institutions. They do not access these institutions, and do not demand what is rightfully theirs. The result is unnecessary poverty. Through women’s groups, seminars and publications, Kayan approaches these women and encourages them to gain control over their personal economy.
New Workshop Group Starts in Yafia
Kayan started a new economic empowerment course with a group of women from Yafia, a village next to Nazareth. The course is designed to help women to become more familiar with economic issues, something normally regarded as a man’s task, and to raise the economic knowledge of women on concepts such poverty, welfare, social security, female labour and globalization. It teaches women about their economic and legal rights, and gives practical advice on how to plan their economic lives, and how to provide financially for their retirement.
April 13, 2010
Kayan Participates in Nazareth Rally Opposing Violence against Women
A thousand women and men marched in the streets of Nazareth on Saturday, February 6, 2010, to protest violence against women in Arab society. The demonstration was organized by some 30 women's and human rights organizations in Arab society, including Kayan. Many participants wore black and held signs bearing the names of women murdered in recent years in Arab communities in Israel. Prominent participants in the rally were Arab Knesset members, members of the Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arab Affairs in Israel, and religious leaders.
The murder of women was a focus issue of the demonstration. In the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Kayan’s Legal Department Coordinator Shirin Batshon-Khoury criticized the law-enforcement authorities, saying that they “choose not to treat cases of murder of Arab women with the severity merited by a criminal event.” She said that authorities consider women’s murder a “custom” in Arab culture in which they prefer not to interfere. Not bringing the murderers to justice gives a green light to more murders in Arab society.
In an interview with Israel’s popular La Isha women’s magazine, Empowerment and Community Organizing Coordinator Rafah Anabtawi stressed this point. “It is important to say that women are murdered in all places, at all times, and for all kinds of reasons invented by men, and that this is not just a problem of Arab society”, she said. She rejected the concept of “honor killings” because it implies not only that men can determine how women should behave, but they can also murder those who don’t behave “nicely”: “A woman has rights to herself, to her body and to her life.”
The demonstration was “the first step in our struggle to put the issue on the public agenda”, Ms. Anabtawi said. “The number of women who are being killed is rising from year to year, and despite this, the silence about the issue continues. There are weak denunciations and nothing more. Our goal is to turn this issue from a women’s problem into everybody’s problem.”
News from "JUSUR (Bridges) – Developing and Institutionalizing the Grassroots Movement of Arab Women in Israel"
This community-organizing project provides a framework for local projects for women in Arab communities. In northern Israel, Kayan helps to establish local women’s groups, and trains and mentors them to help in their development. The women’s groups work to voice their needs and establish projects to transform needs into demands, and demands into rights.
Conference “Women Build Bridges for Change” Lays Groundwork for Arab Women’s Movement
Volunteers from all 14 women’s community organizing projects that are supported by Kayan, plus curious newcomers – 285 women all in all – came together on December 29, 2009 for the first conference of the “Jusur” program, themed “Women Build Bridges for Change”. The gathering in Mghar was the first occasion for the volunteers of all projects to meet, discuss the movement and its future, as well as their individual projects and needs.
The conference reflected the successes of the last year, demonstrating in an impressive way how the women’s projects make a difference in the lives of women and men and change the status of women in their communities. The program included presentations of some of the projects, including environmental education and a women’s club that offers health lectures and sports courses. In a panel, four project leaders discussed the influence of “Jusur’s” local initiatives on women and their communities. Also included in the conference was a workshop to evaluate women’s needs.
"Our ambition is to raise the voices of women who are not represented in public life and in civil society", said Rafah Anabtawi, who coordinates this project. “In order to achieve equality and active citizenship, Arab women must take decision-making power and positions of influence. This is the conviction that has guided Kayan’s work in the year and a half years since we started realizing this vision. We strive to organize women and to defeat the social barriers that prevent them from achieving their full potential – as women in the Arab society, as members of the Palestinian minority in Israel and as women in a man’s world.”
For more pictures from the conference, click here.
Forum of Arab Women Leaders Concludes Year with Training Weekend in Nazareth
For two days in mid-December, the “Forum of Arab Women Leaders” came together in Nazareth to plan strategies for the future of the “Jusur” program. Meeting for the forth time in 2009, the 21 leaders of women’s community organizing projects supported by Kayan were guided in their evaluation and future-planning by Jabr Asakleh, Organizational Consultant at Shatil – the New Israel Fund’s Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations in Israel. A highlight of the meeting was the distribution of certificates to the eleven graduates of the leadership course “Women’s Activism for Social Change”.
In their first meeting in February, 2010, the leaders evaluated the December conference “Women Build Bridges for Change” as well as the project work in the last year, based on feedback from participants. They also assessed their needs for more training and capacity-building, which shall be tackled in 2010. In the second part of the meeting, Sanaa Hammoud, founder and head of the Cinèmedia Media & Communications Service, introduced the community leaders to the topic of Public Relations, its role and importance for their community organizing projects, and techniques of how to attract media attention to a cause.
News from Local Community Projects
Jaffa Project Organizes Conference about Early Marriage
A conference for parents of students at a Tel Aviv-Jaffa high-school in mid-December to raise awareness of the negative impact of teenage marriages on the socio-economic development of girls and boys was the year’s highlight for a joint women’s project of Kayan and the women’s NGO “Aruz al Bahr”. Speaking at the conference, which was attended by around 40 parents, were the school’s principal, a local sheikh, a psychologist and a representative of the Working Group for Equality in Personal Status Issues. A comedian provided the artistic frame for the conference, which completed awareness-raising workshops for 125 students in grades 7 to 9 of the school.
Community Organizing Projects in Arabeh, Ein Mahel and Ma’ale Eron Start Hebrew and Computer Courses for Women
Since the beginning of the year, “Arabeh Women for Change”, “Women of Ein Mahel” and “Sawa” (“Together”), a group of unmarried women from Ma’ale Eron, offer weekly Hebrew and computer courses for groups of 12-15 women, for very affordable prices. The courses are held in the women’s club opened last year by the groups of Arabeh and Ma’ale Eron, as well as in the Ein Mahel community center.
During the needs-assessment coordinated by the community organizing projects, women from Arabeh, Ein Mahel and Ma’ale Eron had repeatedly told the leaders and members of the groups of their need to improve their Hebrew and computer skills. While many women have basic Hebrew knowledge, it is not sufficient to fill out forms, speak to clerks and understand a doctor in a city hospital who only speaks Hebrew. Lack of knowledge in Israel’s main language is as much of an obstacle to women’s independence in day-to-day life as lack of computer skills. For example, information on social rights published online by the authorities is quite extensive, but many Arab women do not access information through the Internet.
The “Arabeh Women for Change” organization screened Israeli-Arab actor and director Mohammad Bakri’s documentary “Zahara” in March, 2010 on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The film tells the story of his 78-year-old aunt Zahara, tracking her life from the time of the loss of Palestine to the present and celebrating her love and wisdom for her family. The screening was organized in cooperation with the local authority and the community center where the film was screened, attracting female and male audiences, which also raised awareness of the organization among the men of Arabeh.
The “Women of Ein Mahel” organized a retreat for 55 women from Ein Mahel in Tiberias in March, including a lecture on "inner energy" and how it is stimulated by community activism. The group also invited the community empowerment association Yedid for eight training sessions on household economy. In addition, the group began a series of lectures on environmental awareness from a gender perspective, given by Aziza Quwaiqis-Muadi, the leader of the project “Women and the Environment” in Mghar.
“Sawa” (“Together”), a group of single, divorced and widowed women from Ma’ale Eron, has invited a Laughter Yoga teacher to try out this unique combination of Unconditional Laughter and Yogic Breathing in March. The group is considering organizing workshops in Laughter Yoga, which has the same physiological and psychological benefits as “real” laughter, for women in the region.
News from the Legal Department
Kayan’s Legal Department counsels and represents individual women in cases of family law, social rights, workers' rights, and rights of victims of crimes. Through lectures and publications, the department educates women about their legal rights. In addition, legal advocacy initiatives directed at various legal and governmental authorities contributes to improving the legal status of Palestinian women in Israel.
A New Publication: Vacation, Sick Leave and Maternity Leave
Kayan’s new brochure “Vacations, Sick Leave and Maternity Leave” explains in simple language the complex legal matters surrounding the rights of workers to vacation, maternity leave and sick leave. Many women, especially part-time workers and day laborers, are unaware of their basic rights to paid time off to recover from sickness, to care for newborns and sick relatives and to satisfy their basic need to rest. The publication advises them about their rights and how to demand them from their employers, and also informs them that these basic rights cannot be waived voluntarily. The publication (in Arabic) can be downloaded here.
Article: Alimony – Dilemmas and Thoughts
Representing Arab women in alimony claims under religious law in Israeli religious and public family courts poses a dilemma for a feminist lawyer, due to the highly patriarchal language and gender-traditions surrounding alimony laws. In three major religions in Israel (Islam, Christianity and Druze), under religious law acknowledged by the State, a woman has the right for alimony as long as she is married and while she stays at the marital house. The alimony is conditioned upon obedience, in particular, and upon not leaving the house without her husband’s consent.
In order to avoid payment of alimony, men often claim that their wife had violated the condition of obedience. On the one hand, the client is in need of the alimony, but on the other hand, the traditional role-model applied in the laws surrounding alimony contradicts feminist concepts. Shirin Batshon-Khoury, Coordinator of Kayan`s Legal Department, writes about the dilemmas in representing women in alimony cases from the viewpoint of a feminist organization.Click here for the full article (in Arabic).
Kayan Lectures on Sexual Harassment Law at Ministry of Trade, Labor and Industry
On International Women’s Day, 8 March 2010, Kayan took part in a study day on the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Ministry of Trade, Labor and Industry. Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud lectured on the legal duties of employers to publish the law in the workplace, and to designate an employee in charge of preventing sexual harassment and dealing with complaints. The lecture was attended by about 200 employees of the Ministry, in addition to Minister of Trade, Labor and Industry Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Deputy Minister Orit Noket, the Ministry’s General Director Sharon Kedmi, and the Head of the Authority for Advancing the Status of Women in the Prime Minister’s Office Vered Sweid.
The study day was organized by a Shatil action group for the advancement of gender equality in the workplace. Its members are Kayan, the Union of Rape Crisis Centers, Mahut Center and Tmura Center. Providing information and spreading awareness about sexual harassment and the law for its prevention are current focus issues of the group. The Ministry of Trade, Labor and Industry is the first Israeli ministry that accepted the group’s offer to organize a study day on the issue. “It is the duty of the Ministry to convey the message to the public that sexual harassment is totally illegal and unacceptable”, explained Deputy Minister Orit Noked about her initiative to endorse this study day together with the group.
A new study by Dr. Avigail Mor from Tel Hai College revealed the immense dimensions of sexual harassment in the workplace in Israel. In her survey, 79% of unmarried and 15% of married Israeli women stated that they have experienced sexual harassment at work, but only 3% have filed complaints. “This emphasizes how important it is to press for implementation of the law from employers, including appointing a person in charge. It also shows that sexual harassment is a serious obstacle to Arab women’s integration in the workplace”, says Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
The latter circumstance was the topic of a lecture that Alhan Nahhas-Daoud gave in a study day of the Israeli Bar Association in Tel Aviv on March 15, dedicated to legal and ethical responsibilities to prevent sexual harassment and sexual abuse. Her lecture was part of a panel on the employers’ responsibilities and the situation in the field. The other panels were dedicated to an analysis of the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and to ethical responsibilities, with Justice Minister Ya’akov Ne’eman and Deputy Minister without portfolio and MK Gila Gavriel among the speakers.
Also in March, Alhan Nahhas-Daoud gave a lecture on the sexual prevention law to an audience of 35 municipal workers, men and women, at the local council of Arabeh. Also speaking were the head of the council, plus the woman in charge of sexual harassment there, a participant in Kayan’s Forum of Appointees for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Arab Local Authorities. “Her appearance in the workshop, the support of the head of council and my explanations of her role have greatly strengthened her position in the council”, said Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
Kayan recently sent out letters to Arab local authorities that violate their legal duties under the sexual prevention law, urging them to publish the law in the workplace and to appoint a person in charge. The mailing campaign was repeated for the third year in a row. This year, thanks to the success of the last campaigns, the number of local authorities contacted was much lower than last year, with 60% of the local authorities adhering to the law as opposed to 40% two years ago.
The study day was organized by a Shatil action group for the advancement of gender equality in the workplace. Its members are Kayan, the Union of Rape Crisis Centers, Mahut Center and Tmura Center. Providing information and spreading awareness about sexual harassment and the law for its prevention are current focus issues of the group. The Ministry of Trade, Labor and Industry is the first Israeli ministry that accepted the group’s offer to organize a study day on the issue. “It is the duty of the Ministry to convey the message to the public that sexual harassment is totally illegal and unacceptable”, explained Deputy Minister Orit Noked about her initiative to endorse this study day together with the group.
A new study by Dr. Avigail Mor from Tel Hai College revealed the immense dimensions of sexual harassment in the workplace in Israel. In her survey, 79% of unmarried and 15% of married Israeli women stated that they have experienced sexual harassment at work, but only 3% have filed complaints. “This emphasizes how important it is to press for implementation of the law from employers, including appointing a person in charge. It also shows that sexual harassment is a serious obstacle to Arab women’s integration in the workplace”, says Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
The latter circumstance was the topic of a lecture that Alhan Nahhas-Daoud gave in a study day of the Israeli Bar Association in Tel Aviv on March 15, dedicated to legal and ethical responsibilities to prevent sexual harassment and sexual abuse. Her lecture was part of a panel on the employers’ responsibilities and the situation in the field. The other panels were dedicated to an analysis of the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and to ethical responsibilities, with Justice Minister Ya’akov Ne’eman and Deputy Minister without portfolio and MK Gila Gavriel among the speakers.
Also in March, Alhan Nahhas-Daoud gave a lecture on the sexual prevention law to an audience of 35 municipal workers, men and women, at the local council of Arabeh. Also speaking were the head of the council, plus the woman in charge of sexual harassment there, a participant in Kayan’s Forum of Appointees for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Arab Local Authorities. “Her appearance in the workshop, the support of the head of council and my explanations of her role have greatly strengthened her position in the council”, said Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
Kayan recently sent out letters to Arab local authorities that violate their legal duties under the sexual prevention law, urging them to publish the law in the workplace and to appoint a person in charge. The mailing campaign was repeated for the third year in a row. This year, thanks to the success of the last campaigns, the number of local authorities contacted was much lower than last year, with 60% of the local authorities adhering to the law as opposed to 40% two years ago.
A New Project: “Ecclesiastical Courts - Access to Justice for Christian Women in Israel”
Kayan’s new project “Ecclesiastical Courts - Access to Justice for Christian Women in Israel” advocates for a transparent and equal jurisdiction in Israel’s Ecclesiastical courts. Israel has 14 independent and separate legal systems covering Family Law administered by religious courts, including 10 separate legal systems for 10 Christian denominations. As opposed to the Sharia, Druze and Rabbinical courts, which are supervised by the Ministry of Justice, Ecclesiastical courts have full "autonomy"; there is no regulation, nor any accountability. Procedures at these courts, hearings, codes and verdicts are not published, and judges are appointed by the churches alone. Due to the gender-biased traditions of the courts, women are the primary victims of lack of access to justice, accountability and rule of law.
Panel discussion “Ecclesiastical Courts – Feminist and Human Rights Perspectives” Questions Courts’ Autonomy
On January 28, 2010, Kayan opened a dialogue with the Ecclesiastical courts in Israel as a first step in advocating for more transparent and equal jurisdiction in these courts. The discussion "The Ecclesiastical Courts – Feminist and Human Rights Perspectives" was held in the Haifa Women’s Coalition with panelists Father Elias Daw, President of the Greek-Catholic Appellate Court, Father Elias Khoury, Secretary of the Greek-Orthodox Court in Acre, and Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud. Legal Department Coordinator Shirin Batshon-Khoury moderated the discussion in front of an audience of lawyers from the Ecclesiastical courts and Arab women, most of them Christians.
Kayan’s lawyers introduced the problems encountered by women when dealing with the Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic courts, such as lack of public information about the courts; the resulting lack of experienced lawyers in Ecclesiastical family law; the lack of divorce procedures in the Catholic courts and its social and economic consequences for women; the long duration of cases due to bureaucracy (which sometimes even involves ratification of judgments from the Vatican); high fees and a lack of standardized procedures.
“We have introduced the subject to the public. For the first time, the Ecclesiastical courts were addressed from the perspective of feminist and human rights. We see this as an important step in entering into dialogue with the courts”, said Shirin Batshon-Khoury. The panel attracted much interest by the media, including religious media in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
A New Publication: Directory of Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Ecclesiastical Courts
Kayan published a guide to the Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Ecclesiastical Courts, launched at the panel discussion “The Ecclesiastical Courts – Feminist and Human Rights Perspectives”. The Directory provides never-before published yet basic information, including full contact information of the Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic family courts in Israel, their legal authority and independence.
In addition, Kayan has published the Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Canon laws on its website (in Arabic). This constitutes an enormous improvement in access to the laws that have never been published in Israel.
A Case from the Legal Department: After a Year of Waiting, Finally a Hearing in the Ecclesiastical Court
Kayan gives legal aid and consultation in family law to Arab women from all three religions - Muslims, Christians and Druze. Kayan’s first actual court appearance in an Ecclesiastical court took place in December 2009, in a case that was submitted to the Episcopal Ecclesiastical Court in Nazareth a year earlier. Our client left her husband due to domestic violence and sued him for alimony for herself. This is lawful under Episcopal law for the period before the marriage is officially separated – the Episcopal Church does not practice divorce. The case exemplifies the lack of transparency and good conduct in the Ecclesiastical courts in Israel, a situation which Kayan attributes to the fact that the Ecclesiastical courts are not supervised by the Ministry of Justice, as opposed to all other family courts in Israel.
Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud had no way of obtaining reliable information, even about where to submit the case. The church sent her on an odyssey between several institutions, until she found out that the court was housed in an orphanage in Nazareth – the place that she had approached initially but that had denied to be in charge. Serious delays in handling the case followed, and the lawyer was told that the court was not handling cases at the time due to an unexplained internal emergency in the church. The unwillingness of the court to handle the case became evident when a judge then advised Ms. Nahhas-Daoud to submit in the regular civil family court, a violation of the client’s right to have her case handled in the Episcopal Ecclesiastical Court if she so wishes. These delays caused serious harm to the financial situation of the client, who has no income to support herself and who is in dire need of the alimony for which she is trying to sue her husband.
Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud had no way of obtaining reliable information, even about where to submit the case. The church sent her on an odyssey between several institutions, until she found out that the court was housed in an orphanage in Nazareth – the place that she had approached initially but that had denied to be in charge. Serious delays in handling the case followed, and the lawyer was told that the court was not handling cases at the time due to an unexplained internal emergency in the church. The unwillingness of the court to handle the case became evident when a judge then advised Ms. Nahhas-Daoud to submit in the regular civil family court, a violation of the client’s right to have her case handled in the Episcopal Ecclesiastical Court if she so wishes. These delays caused serious harm to the financial situation of the client, who has no income to support herself and who is in dire need of the alimony for which she is trying to sue her husband.
News from “An Active Approach towards Personal Economy”
The majority of Arab-Israeli women do not know their rights and entitlements from national social welfare institutions. They do not access these insti¬tutions, and do not demand what is rightfully theirs. The result is unnecessary poverty. Through women’s groups, seminars and publications, Kayan approaches these women and encourages them to gain control over their per¬sonal economy.
Kayan Advises Women on Economic Future Planning at Conference in Dir Hanna
In December 2009, 100 women came together in Dir Hanna for the conference "Women and Future Planning", dedicated to the issue of financial precautions for retirement. Organized in cooperation with the Dir Hanna Women’s Council, the conference aimed to introduce the concept of financial planning and precautions to Arab women, and to suggest concrete methods of securing their financial future. To give hands-on advice, the organizers had invited the manager of the only bank in Dir Hanna, and an insurance agent. They explained different options for saving money, how the bank can help to overcome the difficulties many Arab women experience in saving, how insurance can help women to reduce the risk of being poor and dependent in old age, and what kind of insurance policies exist to do so.
More general remarks about the rationale of economic empowerment activities for women completed the conference. Project Coordinator Rafah Anabtawi and economist Iman Kassis explained the disproportional poverty among Arabs in Israel and why it is important to take precautions against poverty. Statistics show that the proportion of persons living under the poverty line in the Arab society is 46% in general and 66% among the elderly, a clear sign for the necessity of encouraging Arab women to reflect on their future financial and economic life and to make efforts toward a decent standard of living as they age.
More general remarks about the rationale of economic empowerment activities for women completed the conference. Project Coordinator Rafah Anabtawi and economist Iman Kassis explained the disproportional poverty among Arabs in Israel and why it is important to take precautions against poverty. Statistics show that the proportion of persons living under the poverty line in the Arab society is 46% in general and 66% among the elderly, a clear sign for the necessity of encouraging Arab women to reflect on their future financial and economic life and to make efforts toward a decent standard of living as they age.
New Workshop Group Starts in Mghar
In March, Kayan started a new course with a group of twelve women in the village of Mghar in Northern Israel. The course is designed to help women become more familiar with economic issues (normally regarded as a man’s task), and to raise the economic awareness of women about concepts such as poverty, welfare, social security, female labor and globalization. The course will teach women about their economic and legal rights, and will give practical advice on how to plan their economic lives, and how to provide financially for their retirement.
December 15, 2009
Kayan Welcomes New Board
Kayan's General Assembly convened in September to evaluate the work of the past year and to plan ahead for 2010. Kayan’s members also approved the Audit Report of 2008 and the budget of 2010, and elected the new Board of Directors and Controlling Committee.
Re-elected as board members were Shahira Shalabi, Inas Talhami and Amal Ziadi. Manal Saabneh, who had served in the Controlling Committee before, also joined the Board this year. Newly elected as board members were Umayma Diab and Taghreed al Sayyid. Newly elected as members of the Controlling Committee were Reem Assad and Yasmin Hajj. We are proud to welcome two new board members and two new members of the Controlling Committee, and look forward to working alongside them.
We thank the outgoing board members Maha El-Taji and Lilian Abu Tabikh and outgoing Controlling Committee member Aziza Quwaiqis-Muadi for their support, contributions, and the expertise they brought to Kayan. We are grateful to Maha, Lilian and Aziza for their dedication and service to Kayan and the women we support.
Re-elected as board members were Shahira Shalabi, Inas Talhami and Amal Ziadi. Manal Saabneh, who had served in the Controlling Committee before, also joined the Board this year. Newly elected as board members were Umayma Diab and Taghreed al Sayyid. Newly elected as members of the Controlling Committee were Reem Assad and Yasmin Hajj. We are proud to welcome two new board members and two new members of the Controlling Committee, and look forward to working alongside them.
We thank the outgoing board members Maha El-Taji and Lilian Abu Tabikh and outgoing Controlling Committee member Aziza Quwaiqis-Muadi for their support, contributions, and the expertise they brought to Kayan. We are grateful to Maha, Lilian and Aziza for their dedication and service to Kayan and the women we support.
Thank You and Welcome to Kayan’s Staff and Interns
Sidi Oiero, who was the Chief Financial Officer of Kayan and the Haifa Women’s Coalition for 14 years – since Kayan’s foundation – went into well-deserved pension in August. We want to thank Sidi for all her great work over the years. We will truly miss her. We wish her all the best for her retirement, and hope to see her around a lot in the Haifa Women’s Coalition.
Iris Klor is Kayan’s new Chief Financial Officer, also serving as the Chief Financial Officer of the Haifa Women’s Coalition. Iris studied Accounting Management at the Director’s College and has worked for over fifteen years in this field. We give a warm welcome Iris and wish her all the best for her new position!
Megan Leatherman and Amos Heuss joined Kayan in October as interns for the JUSUR program and the PR department. They will be with us until the end of December. Megan comes from the U.S. and recently graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies. In college, she co-founded a group that addresses feminist issues on campus. She hopes to go on to study women’s issues in an international context.
Amos is a Master’s student of political science and education at the University of Tübingen, Germany. He currently studies at the University of Haifa in the Honors Program in Peace and Conflict Studies. In 2002 and 2003, Amos volunteered in Moscow working with elderly victims of the Stalinist regime and child refugees.
Rachel Manor and Sivan Shpitzer joined Kayan in October. They will complete a one-year internship as part of their Human Resources studies at Emeq Yizrael College, getting to know Kayan’s work and helping out in its administrative unit. Rachel and Sivan have already interned in an employment agency and in the human resource department of a hospital, respectively. “We came to Kayan exactly because we did not know much about the organization,”explains Sivan. “This is a unique opportunity for us to learn about issues of Arab women and women’s rights.”
Kayan is always happy to welcome interns and volunteers, and encourages your applications to Bettina@kayan.org.il. We are especially looking for professional English-to-Arabic volunteer translators. Come join the team!
Iris Klor is Kayan’s new Chief Financial Officer, also serving as the Chief Financial Officer of the Haifa Women’s Coalition. Iris studied Accounting Management at the Director’s College and has worked for over fifteen years in this field. We give a warm welcome Iris and wish her all the best for her new position! 
Many thanks also to Carly Benkov who interned with Kayan’s Legal Department from August to October, developing Public Relations material for the JUSUR program. With a Master of Public Service degree, Carly worked for Women to Women International in Washington, D.C. before joining Kayan. We appreciate Carly’s contribution to Kayan, and wish her all the best for the future!
Megan Leatherman and Amos Heuss joined Kayan in October as interns for the JUSUR program and the PR department. They will be with us until the end of December. Megan comes from the U.S. and recently graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies. In college, she co-founded a group that addresses feminist issues on campus. She hopes to go on to study women’s issues in an international context.Amos is a Master’s student of political science and education at the University of Tübingen, Germany. He currently studies at the University of Haifa in the Honors Program in Peace and Conflict Studies. In 2002 and 2003, Amos volunteered in Moscow working with elderly victims of the Stalinist regime and child refugees.
Rachel Manor and Sivan Shpitzer joined Kayan in October. They will complete a one-year internship as part of their Human Resources studies at Emeq Yizrael College, getting to know Kayan’s work and helping out in its administrative unit. Rachel and Sivan have already interned in an employment agency and in the human resource department of a hospital, respectively. “We came to Kayan exactly because we did not know much about the organization,”explains Sivan. “This is a unique opportunity for us to learn about issues of Arab women and women’s rights.”
Kayan is always happy to welcome interns and volunteers, and encourages your applications to Bettina@kayan.org.il. We are especially looking for professional English-to-Arabic volunteer translators. Come join the team!
News from Kayan’s staff
Bettina Suleiman participated in the International Human Rights Academy (http://www.law.uu.nl/ihra/) in Cape Town, South Africa, in October. She was awarded a scholarship from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. The International Human Rights Academy is a two-week in-depth course on human rights, organized every year under the auspices of six renowned universities from the Netherlands, Belgium, the Republic of South Africa and the United States of America.
News from the Legal Department
Kayan’s Legal Department counsels and represents individual women in cases of family law, social rights, workers' rights, and rights of victims of crimes. Through lectures and publications, the department educates women about their legal rights. In addition, legal advocacy initiatives directed at various legal and governmental authorities contributes to improving the legal status of Palestinian women in Israel.
Women’s Conference on “The Rights of Victims of Crimes Act”
Lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud Speaking at the Conference
On November 4, Kayan brought together 60 women for the first public conference dedicated to the “Rights of Victims of Crimes Act” (2001) in Yanuh. With the purpose of protecting his or her rights and dignity, the law gives crime victims the rights to be informed and actively involved in the criminal procedure and conviction, and to be heard during the trial.
The conference aimed to raise public awareness for the Act. Focusing on victims of sexual crimes and gender-based violence, lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud outlined the law’s content and implementation. Umayma Daqwar, police investigator for domestic violence cases, explained how to make use of the law. Huda Khaleilah talked about her personal experiences in utilizing the law as a client of the Legal Department.
In its attempt to improve Arab women’s access to the law, Kayan has also begun to meet with national and regional supervisors for the law at the police and the public prosecutor’s offices. In the meetings, Kayan voiced its concern over insufficient implementation of the law by the two bodies, including lack of Arabic translation of the Internet and phone services that are given to victims of crimes and insufficient legal rights education provided to Arab women victims of crimes.
On November 4, Kayan brought together 60 women for the first public conference dedicated to the “Rights of Victims of Crimes Act” (2001) in Yanuh. With the purpose of protecting his or her rights and dignity, the law gives crime victims the rights to be informed and actively involved in the criminal procedure and conviction, and to be heard during the trial.
The conference aimed to raise public awareness for the Act. Focusing on victims of sexual crimes and gender-based violence, lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud outlined the law’s content and implementation. Umayma Daqwar, police investigator for domestic violence cases, explained how to make use of the law. Huda Khaleilah talked about her personal experiences in utilizing the law as a client of the Legal Department.
In its attempt to improve Arab women’s access to the law, Kayan has also begun to meet with national and regional supervisors for the law at the police and the public prosecutor’s offices. In the meetings, Kayan voiced its concern over insufficient implementation of the law by the two bodies, including lack of Arabic translation of the Internet and phone services that are given to victims of crimes and insufficient legal rights education provided to Arab women victims of crimes.
Second Meeting of Forum on Sexual Harassment Law
Lawyers Shirin Batshon-Khoury and Alhan Nahhas-Daoud Speaking at the Forum
On November 17, Kayan’s “Forum of Appointees for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Arab Local Authorities” met for the second time after its establishment in May. The meeting was dedicated to the problems that the appointees face in implementing the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, and ways to overcome these difficulties.
Seven appointees attended the forum’s meeting, which included an in-depth discussion of the appointees’ tasks and their difficulties, as well as about the law and recent court cases. This discussion was facilitated by Kayan’s lawyers Alhan Nahhas-Daoud and Shirin Batshon-Khoury. Tal Borshtein, professional trainer at the Ge’ut Center for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, provided the appointees with training on techniques to fulfill their tasks, to handle cases and to raise the topic in the local authority. The Forum will continue to meet next year, and will provide advanced training about social and legal instruments to handle cases and give updates from the courts and the Commission for Equality in the Workplace.
On November 17, Kayan’s “Forum of Appointees for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Arab Local Authorities” met for the second time after its establishment in May. The meeting was dedicated to the problems that the appointees face in implementing the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, and ways to overcome these difficulties.
Seven appointees attended the forum’s meeting, which included an in-depth discussion of the appointees’ tasks and their difficulties, as well as about the law and recent court cases. This discussion was facilitated by Kayan’s lawyers Alhan Nahhas-Daoud and Shirin Batshon-Khoury. Tal Borshtein, professional trainer at the Ge’ut Center for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace, provided the appointees with training on techniques to fulfill their tasks, to handle cases and to raise the topic in the local authority. The Forum will continue to meet next year, and will provide advanced training about social and legal instruments to handle cases and give updates from the courts and the Commission for Equality in the Workplace.
Kayan Joins Action Group for Advancing Gender Equality at the Workplace
In October, Kayan became a member of a new action group for the advancement of gender equality in the workplace. The group was founded and is coordinated by Shatil, the New Israel Fund’s empowerment and training center for social change organizations in Israel, and is composed of four women’s organizations – Kayan, the Union of Rape Crisis Centers, Mahut Center and Tmura Center. The EU-sponsored project will, over the course of three years, develop programs for women’s equality in the workplace and for creating a safe working space for female employees.
The group starts its activities focusing on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace. A first move in this direction is the group’s public agreement with Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin to conduct a workshop on the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in the Israeli parliament. “The aim is both to raise awareness for the law by conducting such a workshop in a major state institution, and to actually enlighten the Knesset staff about the law. After all, we assume that there are cases of sexual harassment in the Knesset as there are in other state bodies as well,” says Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud, who represents Kayan in the action group.
The group starts its activities focusing on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace. A first move in this direction is the group’s public agreement with Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin to conduct a workshop on the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace in the Israeli parliament. “The aim is both to raise awareness for the law by conducting such a workshop in a major state institution, and to actually enlighten the Knesset staff about the law. After all, we assume that there are cases of sexual harassment in the Knesset as there are in other state bodies as well,” says Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud, who represents Kayan in the action group.
Kayan Speaks at Haifa University “Violence” Conference
Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud gave a lecture about “The Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment: from Implementation to Change” at the conference “Violence: From Headlines to Reality” at Haifa University in October. Her lecture was part of a panel on intervention in violent cultural contexts, headed by Ada Fliel-Trosman, Director of Services for Teenage Girls at the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The Ministry was one of the organizers of the conference, alongside Aminut – Association for the Treatment of Domestic and Social Violence and Sexual Assault, the Haifa municipality, the University of Haifa, public health insurance companies, among others.
The Ministry was one of the organizers of the conference, alongside Aminut – Association for the Treatment of Domestic and Social Violence and Sexual Assault, the Haifa municipality, the University of Haifa, public health insurance companies, among others.
A Case from the Legal Department: Sharia Appeal Court Orders Lower Court to Consider the Child’s Will in Custody Case
Kayan has won an appeal to the Sharia Appellate Court in a custody case where the Sharia Court, in its first decision two years ago, had ignored the child’s will in addition to ignoring social welfare reports. Both the child and the social worker appointed by the court had been in favor of granting custody to the mother, yet the court had decided otherwise. An appeal against this decision was rejected.
Unwilling to live with his father, the child had in fact stayed with his mother following the judgment. A year later, the mother applied for public legal aid to open a new case. Her application was rejected, however, with the argument that she had no case. She then sought legal aid from Kayan. “I immediately saw that she did have a case, and I decided to help her” says Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
Last year, Kayan’s lawyer attempted to open a new case regarding the boy’s custody at the Sharia Court based on the fact that he was around 12 years old and that this constituted a new circumstance in the case. At this age, she argued, his will must be taken into consideration. Her petition was rejected, “notably by the very same judge who awarded custody to the father in the first place,” she says. But the Appellate Court found her argument justified and ordered the court to decide anew about custody over the boy, this time paying attention to his opinion.
Unwilling to live with his father, the child had in fact stayed with his mother following the judgment. A year later, the mother applied for public legal aid to open a new case. Her application was rejected, however, with the argument that she had no case. She then sought legal aid from Kayan. “I immediately saw that she did have a case, and I decided to help her” says Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
Last year, Kayan’s lawyer attempted to open a new case regarding the boy’s custody at the Sharia Court based on the fact that he was around 12 years old and that this constituted a new circumstance in the case. At this age, she argued, his will must be taken into consideration. Her petition was rejected, “notably by the very same judge who awarded custody to the father in the first place,” she says. But the Appellate Court found her argument justified and ordered the court to decide anew about custody over the boy, this time paying attention to his opinion.
News from “An Active Approach towards Personal Economy”
The majority of Arab-Israeli women do not know their rights and entitlements from social welfare institutions. They do not access these institutions, and do not demand what is rightfully theirs. The result is unnecessary poverty. Through women’s groups, seminars and publications, Kayan approaches these women and encourages them to gain control over their personal economy.
Economic Empowerment Workshops in Kufr Qara and Ein Mahal Completed
Participants of the economic empowerment workshop in Ein MahelKayan has completed two workshops for women’s economic empowerment in the villages of Kufr Qara and Ein Mahal. Over a course of 13 weeks, the participants were introduced to economic concepts such as social rights, pensions and labor laws. With time, the participants developed an interest in economy and overcame their reticence towards the idea that economy was a women’s issue, too. Kayan hopes that ultimately they will become more active and independent in managing the economic aspects of their life.
An important aspect of the workshops is to raise women’s awareness of the importance of safeguarding their financial future. “Most women are passive in this regard and rely on the public old-age pension. Once we explain to them how small this pension actually is and that social benefits are even decreasing, they realize that they have to become active,” explains Rafah Anabtawi, who coordinates the project.
The problem, she says, is that most women neither have their own income nor decision-making power over their husbands’, or access to the family’s bank account. But they find creative ways around this. “The participants became so convinced that they have to save for old-age that even very poor women from families that have no income other than social benefits started to save, on cosmetics for example, and to buy gold from the small sums they could put aside. To their husbands, they say that the gold is a security for the whole family.”
News from "JUSUR (Bridges) – Developing and Institutionalizing the Grassroots Movement of Arab Women in Israel"
This community-organizing project provides a framework for local projects for women in Arab communities. In northern Israel, Kayan helps to establish
local women’s groups, and trains and mentors them to help in their development. The women’s groups work to voice their needs and establish projects to transform needs into demands, and demands into rights.
local women’s groups, and trains and mentors them to help in their development. The women’s groups work to voice their needs and establish projects to transform needs into demands, and demands into rights.
Women’s Groups Support Needy Families, Children with Disabilities in Ramadan
Kayan’s women’s initiatives in Ein Mahel and Arabeh have organized special events to mark the Islamic holiday of Id al Fitr that ended the holy months of Ramadan in September. In line with the tradition of benevolence in Ramadan, the women from Ein Mahel collected food, toys and other donations in kind from businesses and private homes. About 20 families received donations through this first-ever charity event organized by women in Ein Mahel, one of Israel’s poorest communities. The "Arabeh Women for Change" organized a party for children with disabilities at a special school in the village. The women told stories to the children, danced with them and gave them presents from donations they had collected. The event was honored by a visit from the mayor of Arabeh, who thanked the group for setting up the event.
News in Brief
The Forum of Arab Women Leaders met in October for the third time this year, bringing together leaders of 15 community-based women’s initiatives. The meeting in Haifa included a mutual update about the initiative’s activities and evaluation of progress and difficulties, as well as a lecture about the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment by Kayan’s lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud.
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"Arabeh Women for Change," Kayan’s women's initiative from Arabeh, has organized the first-ever “Women’s Walking Day” in the village. About 50 women participated in the activity that included a joint hiking trip and lectures on the positive effects of walking on health, and aimed to encourage walking as exercise. This is another activity to raise health awareness among local women, adding to the group’s health lectures and its subsidized sports course for women.
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Kayan’s women’s initiative in Ein Mahel organized a trip for 40 local women. The tour was a fun activity to thank the participants of a needs-survey implemented earlier this year and to stay in touch. The survey had shown that local women regard their lack of Hebrew and computer skills as the most pressing problem, preventing them from finding employment and leading a more independent life. The group has now organized Hebrew and computer courses that will start in December.
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"Arabeh Women for Change," Kayan’s women's initiative from Arabeh, has organized the first-ever “Women’s Walking Day” in the village. About 50 women participated in the activity that included a joint hiking trip and lectures on the positive effects of walking on health, and aimed to encourage walking as exercise. This is another activity to raise health awareness among local women, adding to the group’s health lectures and its subsidized sports course for women.
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Kayan’s women’s initiative in Ein Mahel organized a trip for 40 local women. The tour was a fun activity to thank the participants of a needs-survey implemented earlier this year and to stay in touch. The survey had shown that local women regard their lack of Hebrew and computer skills as the most pressing problem, preventing them from finding employment and leading a more independent life. The group has now organized Hebrew and computer courses that will start in December.
December 14, 2009
Upcoming Events
The public is cordially invited to the following events. For further information and for a detailed program, please contact Bettina@kayan.org.il.
December 14, 2009 in Jaffa (Tel Aviv): Conference on Early Marriage in the Arab Society, organized by the Jaffa women’s initiative - a joint project of Kayan and Aruz al-Bahr.
December 21, 2009 in Dir Hanna: Conference entitled “Women and Economic Future Planning,” part of Kayan’s program “An Active Approach towards Personal Economy”.
December 29, 2009 in Mghar: First yearly convention of the all community-organizing projects under Kayan’s program “Jusur – Developing and Institutionalizing the Grassroots Movement of Arab Women in Israel”.
December 14, 2009 in Jaffa (Tel Aviv): Conference on Early Marriage in the Arab Society, organized by the Jaffa women’s initiative - a joint project of Kayan and Aruz al-Bahr.
December 21, 2009 in Dir Hanna: Conference entitled “Women and Economic Future Planning,” part of Kayan’s program “An Active Approach towards Personal Economy”.
December 29, 2009 in Mghar: First yearly convention of the all community-organizing projects under Kayan’s program “Jusur – Developing and Institutionalizing the Grassroots Movement of Arab Women in Israel”.
August 25, 2009
Thanks and Welcome to Our Interns
Many heartfelt thanks to Sarah Annear, law student at American University Washington College of Law, who interned with Kayan’s Legal Department during the summer months. With a degree in international and women’s studies, Sarah did international comparative research on religious family law (see interview below). “The research I did with Kayan enriched my understanding of women's legal experiences and has inspired me to use the power of the law to support those who need help,” Sarah says. “It has been a privilege to volunteer with Kayan and to make a small contribution to its vital work.”
We extend our sincere thanks to Laura Merckx, student of political science at the Sciences Po in Paris, who volunteered in our Public Relations department during July 2009. Special thanks also to the Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace for organizing and sponsoring Laura’s volunteer service.
An especially warm welcome to our new volunteers:
Erik Schwarzfeld, professional Hebrew-to-English translator and owner of Erikland Translations, has been a volunteer with Kayan since April.
Nosayr Yassin, high school student from the Village of Arabeh, has been a volunteer with Kayan since June as Arabic-to-English translator and Public Relations volunteer. Thanks to Erik and Nosayr, you can now watch Kayan’s Hebrew- and Arabic-language television reports and interviews on Youtube with English subtitles!
Elise Shazar, professional translator and media consultant, has been a volunteer with Kayan since May as English-to-Hebrew translator.
Kayan is always happy to welcome interns and volunteers, and encourages your applications to Bettina@kayan.org.il. We are especially looking for professional English-to-Arabic volunteer translators. Come join the team! As Laura put it, “Volunteering for Kayan is a thrilling experience, not only because the organization’s work is truly impressive, but also because you feel part of this effort. In Kayan, you will for sure end up getting the most of your experience as a volunteer in Israel.”
News from Kayan’s staff
Bettina Suleiman, Kayan’s Development Coordinator, was awarded her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Leipzig (Germany) in May. She successfully defended her dissertation entitled “The Argument of Self-Defense in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”.
Kayan Joins Protest in Support of “New Profile"
Kayan is one of 23 women’s organizations who signed a protest letter against the police investigation of New Profile opened in April. New Profile, a group of feminists that advocate for de-militarization of Israeli society, is probed for allegedly helping conscientious objectors to lie to military authorities in order to receive exemption from service. In the letter, addressed to the Minister of Internal Security, the women’s organizations state their commitment to defending freedom of expression as a democratic right, and call the attempts to silence New Profile “horrendous.”
News from the Legal Department
Kayan’s Legal Department counsels and represents individual women in cases of family law, social rights, workers' rights, and rights of victims of crimes. Through lectures and publications, the department educates women about their legal rights. In addition, legal advocacy initiatives directed at various legal and governmental authorities contributes to improving the legal status of Palestinian women in Israel.
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New Publication: The Minimum Wage Law
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Forum on Sexual Harassment Law Meets for the First Time
Forum on Sexual Harassment Law Meets for the First Time
First decision on Kayan/PHR/ACRI Petition Demanding Social and Health Rights for Victims of "Nationality Law"
A Case From the Legal Department: D.’s Long Struggle for Her Children Comes to a (Nearly) Happy End
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New Publication: The Minimum Wage Law
Kayan has produced, published and distributed a poster containing information about minimum wages, sanctions and contact information for reporting violations of the Minimum Wage Law. By law, all employers have to provide this information to their employees. The poster was sent to 400 Arab employers in the private sector, together with a letter explaining this requirement. The publication is part of the Kayan's campaign, launched in 2008, against wide-spread violations of the Minimum Wage Law in the Arab private sector in Israel.
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Forum on Sexual Harassment Law Meets for the First Time
Kayan has established a forum for staff of local authorities appointed to be in charge of preventing sexual harassment at their workplace. The purpose of the forum is to support these staff members and help them better understand and implement the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment.
Eleven appointees attended the forum’s first meeting in May. Lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud explained the duties of the employer and the appointee under law, the procedures with which to deal with sexual harassment complaints, and strategies for raising awareness and dealing with the issue within the local authority. In a subsequent discussion, the appointees shared strategies and procedures for carrying out their duties.
Kayan decided to establish the forum after surveys revealed that many of the appointees were unqualified for their position and lacked knowledge regarding the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and their responsibilities regarding implementation.
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Kayan Leads Major Protest against Website Posting Question: “Can I Kill My Cousin for Family Honor?”
Kayan staged a wide public protest against the publication of a user’s question on Panet, the fourth most popular Arabic-language website in Israel. The user asked whether it is acceptable to murder his cousin, who had compromised the "family honor", in order to "bring rest to my parents and my family from the shame and people's talk, and to preserve my good name."
Referring to his cousin, the user wrote: "She doesn't know what's good for her, we've talked to her and it didn't help, we've beaten her and it didn't help ... My brothers, do you think what I want to do is good, that is, am I right? ... Is it [religiously] worthy for me to kill her or just scare her?"
Immediately after the publication, Kayan sent a letter to the editor, demanding the immediate removal of the question from the site and the involvement of the police. The letter was signed by eight other women's organizations. The events received wide coverage in the Israeli media.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Forum on Sexual Harassment Law Meets for the First Time
Kayan has established a forum for staff of local authorities appointed to be in charge of preventing sexual harassment at their workplace. The purpose of the forum is to support these staff members and help them better understand and implement the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment.
Eleven appointees attended the forum’s first meeting in May. Lawyer Alhan Nahhas-Daoud explained the duties of the employer and the appointee under law, the procedures with which to deal with sexual harassment complaints, and strategies for raising awareness and dealing with the issue within the local authority. In a subsequent discussion, the appointees shared strategies and procedures for carrying out their duties.
Kayan decided to establish the forum after surveys revealed that many of the appointees were unqualified for their position and lacked knowledge regarding the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and their responsibilities regarding implementation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Kayan Leads Major Protest against Website Posting Question: “Can I Kill My Cousin for Family Honor?”
Kayan staged a wide public protest against the publication of a user’s question on Panet, the fourth most popular Arabic-language website in Israel. The user asked whether it is acceptable to murder his cousin, who had compromised the "family honor", in order to "bring rest to my parents and my family from the shame and people's talk, and to preserve my good name."
Referring to his cousin, the user wrote: "She doesn't know what's good for her, we've talked to her and it didn't help, we've beaten her and it didn't help ... My brothers, do you think what I want to do is good, that is, am I right? ... Is it [religiously] worthy for me to kill her or just scare her?"
Immediately after the publication, Kayan sent a letter to the editor, demanding the immediate removal of the question from the site and the involvement of the police. The letter was signed by eight other women's organizations. The events received wide coverage in the Israeli media.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------First decision on Kayan/PHR/ACRI Petition Demanding Social and Health Rights for Victims of "Nationality Law"
In June, the High Court of Justice demanded that the Ministers of Health, Welfare, Interior and Economy provide an explanation for their refusal to grant social and health insurance to about 5,000 Palestinian women from the Occupied Territories who are married to Israeli citizens and live in Israel legally. The Ministers were granted six months to justify the policy.
The decision is a response to a petition by Kayan, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), asking the court to request the ministers to grant social and health rights to the affected women.
Since 2003, Israel has suspended the processing of family unification requests to grant civil status to residents of the OPT and other so-called “enemy states,” citing security arguments. The petition of Kayan, PHR-Israel and ACRI states that Israel granted "staying permits" to one-third of the women affected by the so-called “Nationality Law”, therefore proving that they are not security risks in the eyes of the state. Refusing them health and social rights is therefore unfounded.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A Case From the Legal Department: D.’s Long Struggle for Her Children Comes to a (Nearly) Happy End
A legal dispute with her ex-husband over custody of her three children has come to a nearly happy end for D., (40), a client of Kayan’s Legal Department (see Kayan’s newsletter 01/2009). After she had not seen her children -- the youngest nine years old -- for almost one year, D. received temporary custody in recent months.. Her husband, who is reported to have maltreated and neglected his children, will be able to see them only under supervision of the social welfare offices.
The case was handled by the Sharia Court, its Appellate Court, the High Court of Justice and, finally, the civil family court. The Sharia Court had granted the father custody on the grounds that he could provide his children with a good religious education, as opposed to the mother, a convert to Islam. In the Appellate court both sides then agreed on joint custody. But the father violated this agreement and prevented contact between the mother and her children.
Only after Kayan successfully filed a custody case in the civil family court did D. receive a fair ruling, based on the same social welfare reports that had recommended granting custody to the mother earlier but which were ignored by the Sharia Court.
“It is remarkable that the religious court and the civil court came to entirely contradictory verdicts, given that we are talking about the same mother, father, children, and the same social welfare reports. Nothing has changed,” said Shirin Batshon-Khoury, the lawyer who handled the case. “Obviously, the verdict of the religious court was solely based on the issue of religious education and the religion of the parents, ignoring all other aspects regarding the wellbeing of the children. All social workers from the beginning recommended giving custody to the mother; therefore, the case shows, in my opinion, that in custody cases, women indeed get fairer treatment in the civil family courts.”
Interview: Is religious family law applied in the world today?
An interview with Shirin Batshon-Khoury, Coordinator of Kayan’s Legal Department, and Sarah Annear, Kayan’s legal intern during the summer term. A law student at American University Washington College of Law, Sarah did comparative research on the application of religious law worldwide.In Israel we have a religious family court system. What are these courts responsible for?
Shirin Batshon-Khoury: In Israel, where there is no civil marriage and no civil divorce, the religious courts, controlled by the religious parties, have sole authority over these issues. Regarding other family law issues like custody, alimony, and division of property, the religious and the public family courts both have the authority to deal with the case. Cases are heard in the court where the petition is first filed. What is the situation in the rest of the world?
Sarah Annear: Religious family courts exist mostly in the Middle East and India. Civil law countries in the mainland of Europe have a conflict of law provision: they have to apply the law of the person’s nationality, including religious family law, and not the law of the country where they live. But in Germany, as opposed to France for example, a woman who is not necessarily a German citizen can still ask the courts to apply German law.
The only other way religious family law can be applied in the Western courts is in arbitration tribunals. These are not official state courts, but the two parties can agree to arbitrate their case under religious law, and the decision is enforced in civil courts also. However, there must be no violation of public policy, e.g. equality between men and women.
Can you give examples of religious laws that violate this rule?
Shirin Batshon-Khoury: Custody for example: according to Greek-Orthodox and the Sharia law, a father has the priority to get custody for boys above age 7 and girls above age 9. Also according to in Sharia and Greek-Orthodox law, an abandoned husband can file for an “obedience” order, obliging his wife to return. No one forces her anymore to actually return, but if she doesn’t she loses some of her rights -- alimony for example.
The religious laws, written hundreds and thousands of years ago, all lay out a clear division between the roles of men and women in the family. As feminists, however, we believe in gender equality and equal opportunities for men and women.
How do you deal with this discrimination of women in religious courts in Kayan’s Legal Department?
Shirin Batshon-Khoury: We inform women about their right to have their case heard in the civil courts, and we also take most cases there, especially custody cases.
We also try to bring about a change in the terminology of the courts. In one “obedience” case, for instance, in which the client left because of violence, we demanded dismissal of the case, because under these circumstances, an “obedience” order would be very humiliating for the client and violate her human rights. We won the case, and the verdict stated, on religious grounds, that marriage should be a partnership. This is very new terminology and proves that change is possible even within the religious courts.
What are your predictions for the future: will we have more or less religious law applied?
Sarah Annear: A number of countries are reforming their religious family law so it is a little less “old-fashioned”, less sexist and less difficult for women. Morocco in 2004 rewrote its entire family law code, partly because France with its many Moroccan immigrants was not applying it at all because it violated French public policy.
In England, the US and Canada, where civil courts never apply the national family law, there was a rise in the usage of arbitration tribunals, because the religious minority communities often have a problem with the Christian-based and therefore already slightly discriminatory laws in these countries.
In Canada, where Jewish and Christian minority arbitration tribunals have existed for many years, an initiative in 2004 to allow Muslim arbitration tribunals failed. The public outcry against the idea of having Sharia law implemented in Canada was so loud that Canada got rid of allestablished the Muslim arbitration tribunal, an official body to replace the unofficial Sharia courts operating in the mosques. The archbishop made a public statement saying it was alright that Sharia law was coming to England, as they were letting minorities have their own system. There was also a lot of public outcry, but it still happened.
The U.S. has a solid system of Jewish arbitration tribunals and a little bit of Christian arbitration tribunals but the Muslim community does only mediation right now, which is not binding. But maybe in the coming years, as the community gets larger and more organized, we might have Muslim arbitration tribunals in the U.S. too.
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