Last week, more than 350 Israeli Arab women participated in a job fair with more than 16 human resource companies involved. Overall, 450 jobs were offered by companies interested in employing women.
Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu, Co-executive Director of the Abraham Fund Initiatives said, “The overwhelming turnout of women that came to participate in the job fair is definitive proof that Arab women are eager to get out of the house, integrate themselves into the job market, and contribute to the earnings of their families."
The job fair was made possible through the framework of “Sharikat Haya” (life partnership a project of the Abraham Fund) in cooperation with the Joint Distribution Committee.
Roughly 75 women participated in workshops acquainting them with the job market, such as maximized efficacy in job searching, Hebrew courses, computer skills and worker’s rights forums. Although the program has come to an end, over 30 participants have been placed in jobs so far, and as mentioned earlier, 450 jobs have been offered to unemployed Arab women.
Fatma Tarabia, a mother from Sachnin who participated in the program said, “I worked for 15 years, and one day after my maternity leave, I was let go from my work. I was depressed and didn’t think I would find another job. The Sharikat Haya program and job fair aided me so much, both emotionally and literally, in getting back into the workplace. That is to say, I regained my confidence and was able to even fine tune my job searches.
"I came away with a fully developed resume and a newfound sense of empowerment. The program and job fair really helped me to understand how to strengthen my position in the society around me.”
The event took place in the Cultural Center in Sachnin.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 22, 2008
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