Rights for Palestinian women
Kayan Feminist Organization | Israel, Haifa
Kayan was founded in 1998 by Arab feminists and has been campaigning for the needs and rights of Arab women in Israel ever since. Cooperating with other women’s organizations in the region, Kayan’s local offices are developing action plans that are tailored to the respective regional needs.
The organization envisions a secure and just society free of gender-based or origin-based discrimination of women: a huge challenge in view of the doubly difficult situation of Arab women living in Israel and in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel.
In cooperation with other feminist organizations in the relevant regions, the Kayan office’s employees develop action plans that are tailored to specific needs. Kayan also operates a helpline for female victims of violence. Following the events on 7 October 2023, Kayan’s work has become even more difficult because the Israel government further intensified repression against Palestinian men and women. During a Zoom exchange, Kayan’s manager Nisren Tabari and her employee Bettina Suleiman explained that it has become nearly impossible to stay in contact with their partners in Gaza. In the West Bank, Palestinian women’s safety has deteriorated significantly too, and the Haifa office remained unoccupied most of the time: the majority of women were currently working from home. Meetings with local groups could only be held virtually, if at all.
In spite of all this, giving up is not an option for the Kayan women: they pursue their efforts whenever it is possible and help one another within the team. focus women has been supporting Kayan’s work since 2022. Based on the conviction that our commitment to strengthen Palestinian women facing war has now become more important than ever, the Foundation Board decided unanimously in 2024 to continue our partnership with Kayan and to support the team additionally by providing a supervision for 2025 (in parallel to ongoing project work).
