By: Mirit Ezrahi
(An article published in the Flashnet website – News from Hadera and the vicinity)
Hadera hosted a conference on women’s empowerment. The conference was held in collaboration with the Association of Elected Women Representatives and the Association of the Women Advisors on the Status of Women in the Municipal Authorities, together with Women’s Parliament, with the purpose of enhancing cooperation.
A national women’s conference on the subject of, “The cooperation of the women advisors on the status of women in the municipal authorities, with the elected women representatives, as an engine of growth and change,” was held in Hadera, in collaboration with the Association of Elected Women Representatives, and the Association of the Women Advisors on the Status of Women in the Municipal Authorities, together with Women’s Parliament.
The goal of the conference, which was held in the Yad LeBanim Memorial Hall in Hadera, was to empower women and enhance their ability to contribute to women in society and to society as a whole.
The Deputy Mayor, Hedva Yehezkeli, the chairwoman of Hadera’s Women’s Council, Sara Gubes, the General Director of the High Authority for the Advancement of Women, Vered Swid, the advisor on the advancement of women in the Union of Local Authorities, Shula Agami, the chairperson of the Association of Elected Women Representatives, attorney Sima Perry, the chairwoman of the Association of the Women Advisors on the Status of Women, Anat Livnat, the chairwoman of Women’s Parliament, Professor Esther Hertzog, the advisor to the Mayor of Hadera on the status of women, Revital Fouks participated in the conference, as well as many guests, elected representatives and advisors on women’s status from municipal authorities all over Israel, including Arab elected women representatives and advisors, who insisted on participating, despite the Ramadan fast, and received a warm welcome, and a special meal for breaking the fast. Nava Gilad and Dr.Israela Ben-Asher hosted the conference.
The key message from the conference was the need to enhance the cooperation between the women’s organizations and the elected representatives and advisors. Hedva Yehezkeli greeted the women present as a representative of the hosting city’s council. Yehezkeli: “Ever since the days of old, women were a leading force in society. However, with the passing years, this force has weakened, and it is appropriate to restore it to its former glory. Only if we unite forces, and only through mutual support can we become a significant and influential force.”
In the second part of the conference, after a cultural pause with the Hadera’s Women’s Theater Group, a panel was conducted with the participation of advisors and elected representatives from Hadera, Or-Yehuda, Faradis, Tel-Aviv, Kfar-Saba and Yokneam. The panelists discussed cooperation and the working process of the different councils.
The panelists urged the heads of the municipal authorities to promote the advisors’ activity, and to allow for further action for the empowerment of women and a change in their status.
Sara Gubes emphasized the long-standing cooperation between her, as the chairwoman of the Women’s Council and the Hadera municipality, and especially the advisor to the Mayor of Hadera on the status of women, Revital Fouks. Gubes: “With joined forces we are leading a process of real action in the city.”