Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the Mossawa Center, in partnership with civil society organizations, is launching the “Women Leaders” project. This initiative aims to strengthen Arab women’s participation in decision-making and leadership roles.
The project focuses on empowering women leaders in neighborhoods, towns, and civil society organizations, equipping them to increase their presence in decision-making positions and influence public affairs.
Building on previous initiatives, such as “Mahali” and the Arab Women’s Network in Local Authorities, which were launched ahead of local elections, this project seeks to expand the network of influential Arab women.
By fostering collaboration and networking among women activists and participating organizations, the project will deepen cooperation, share fieldwork experiences, and enhance community engagement. It will also focus on coordinating efforts to achieve gender equality in resource allocation and leadership representation, recognizing women and civil society organizations as key drivers of change.
The initiative prioritizes marginalized communities and grassroots activists, ensuring their direct involvement in designing the project and preparing them for significant roles at both local and national levels. The project will run from 2025 to 2027.
Currently, only 2% of local council members in Israel are women, and there are no Arab women heading local councils. With women’s representation in leadership positions remaining disproportionately low, even within political parties, one of the project’s key goals is to increase the number of elected Arab women in local government and enhance their influence in decision-making spaces.
