In preparation for International Women’s Day, the national “Young Women’s Parliament” conducted a seminar on the subject of, “Initial thoughts regarding gender”, to approximately 140 Arab and Jewish young women from Herzliya, Kfar-Saba, Ofakim, Lod, Bat-Yam, Jisr az-Zarqa, Faradis and Tira. The seminar took place in the Zippori Center, in Jerusalem, on 21.2.16-22.2.16.
The seminar included joined workshops and lectures on the subject of leadership and gender. The purpose of the seminar was to provide a starting point for establishing gender attitudes, to evoke thought and discourse regarding gender-social issues, to create a mutual language between the participants, and to connect between and unite the participants from the different localities by way of solidarity regarding the raised issues.
One of the peak moments in the seminar’s first day was an inspiring workshop that took place at the “El Halev” association, during which the young women were taught self-defense, and broke blocks with bare fists.
At night, a lively dance party was held.
On the second day, the young women visited the Knesset. For an hour and a half, they strolled through the Knesset’s corridors and the Plenary Chamber on a guided tour, and afterwards, the representatives of each group presented the activity held by their group. Finally, the young women met for an open discussion with the Knesset members, chairwoman of the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and. Gender Equality, MK Aida Toma-Slimann, MK Aliza Lavi and MK Karin Elharar, with the aim of raising political awareness and class consciousness among the young women.
The activity was organized through a joined teamwork of the project’s coordinators, in the Arab localities – Hunaida Assaf, and in the Jewish localities – Rachel Levi-Hertz, and with the help of the localities’ moderators, Anat Livnat and Sarin Angel, chairwoman of the SHIN movement.