“You can’t be a democracy in the 21st century without strong women’s rights.” – Michal Gera Margaliot, Former Executive Director of Israel Women’s Network  

The New Israel Fund UK has spent the past 25 years supporting and nurturing phenomenal women in positions of power, leadership, and authority throughout Israeli society, as well as ensuring that the rights of all women are protected and respected by those in power. To celebrate International Women’s Day, I am proud to be presenting this newsletter, highlighting our key grantees working to promote gender equality.

Our 2020 Human Rights Award winner the Israel Women’s Network have always led the way in promoting women in workplaces across Israel, ensuring accurate gender representation in school textbooks, and protecting women during the Covid-19 Pandemic. IWN have continued to provide support to all women, and their leadership has led to dozens of positive changes across Israel.

Last month we were joined in London by Noa Sattath, the new Executive Director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). Whether in her previous role at the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) or in her current post, Noa has led by example. During her tenure, IRAC forced an ultra-Orthodox radio station to pay damages for silencing the voices of women, fought for egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, and allowed mourners of different genders to pray together in Israeli cemeteries.

NIF continues to support women in positions of leadership through our Training and Empowerment arm Shatil, led since 2018 by Esther Sivan. I am excited by the direction that Esther brings to Shatil as a dedicated feminist with a proven track-record of success at Shatil and beyond. Under Esther’s leadership, Shatil have created a programme for mechinot (pre-military programmes) to give young people the tools necessary to fight gender segregation and exclusion throughout their military service and their lives beyond.

With Shatil’s support, our grantees are changing Israeli society and improving the lives of individuals across Israel and the occupied territories. Even grantees with a different focus are leading the way on women’s rights, like Physicians for Human Rights’ mobile clinic, which brought hundreds of volunteers from Israel to provide much-needed healthcare to women across Gaza.

Whether it is supporting long-term projects like Shatil and ACRI, or giving emergency grants to groups like the Wall of Mums, who protect protestors from police violence, NIF remains on the forefront of the campaign for gender equality.

As an Israeli woman living in the UK, joining NIF as a donor and trustee makes a huge difference to me knowing that I am having a direct, positive impact on the lives of all people in Israel. It provides me with something tangible, positive, hopeful and solution focused. It also reminds me that the only way to create meaningful justice and equality for all is through an intersectional and holistic approach, which is what makes supporting NIF UK not just special, but essential.

– Dana Segal, Trustee of the New Israel Fund UK