Daily Alert Archives

Wave of Arab Women Running in Local Elections in Israel

(Christian Science Monitor) Dina Kraft - A wave of Arab women in Israel are running in local races in greater numbers and in more prominent positions than ever before. The Oct. 30 municipal elections feature all-women candidate lists running in a number of Arab towns and villages. And a record number of women are running high up in their party slates, increasing the chances they might be elected. Two women are running for mayor in separate Arab towns, and over 200 are running for local office. It's a significant development. Historically, Israeli Arab women's participation in local elections has been scant in a society that is only beginning to shed its patriarchal ways and where local government is dominated by men. Samah Salaime, a Palestinian feminist activist, said, "Women are more involved in public life now because in the last 20 years Palestinian women in Israel have made huge progress economically, and the side effect is they don't want only to earn money. The next step is to see and influence where that money is going."
2018-10-17 00:00:00
Full Article