Congratulations to Kayan's volunteer Nosayr Yassin on winning a shared third price in the youth essay contest of the Women's Learning Partnership on the occasion of 30 years of CEDAW!

Here is the winning essay:

Round Stones or Full Rights
Nuseir Yassin, Israel

"Never let the hand you hold, hold you down" This expression is completely true among the Arab society of women here in Israel. Though inconceivable as it may be, Arab women here in Israel, generally speaking, are facing tremendous forces trying to hold them down, yet, with great difficulty and unprecedented bravery, women that I have known are outstandingly strong before suppression by their most beloved ones.

In a generally conservative Arab community, women and young girls alike are struggling to earn their most fundamental freedoms: the freedom of speech, movement, and ideas. Starting with the most basic of all, the freedom of speech is the wish of most Arab women here in my community, for they cannot express their opinions or points of views lest they get suppressed by their own surroundings. "Family honor", as obsolete as it may sound, is still a frequently used term that most likely serves as the reason behind an incident where a woman pays the price.

Furthermore, the condition of women is far from being equal to that of men's. Women are destined to stay at home and men are free to go to wherever they wish. This injustice to women is what I believe to be the reason behind a corrupt offspring. The apple does not fall far from the tree, and neither does the offspring of suppressed women. Thus, the mighty men of today need to understand clearly that granting their poor women their most basic rights, such as the freedom of movement, is the key factor for a thriving community.

Although I am not a woman, I still sympathize with those women that need to look, sound, and act morally perfect as to fit the primitive traditions of their community. Based on my observations among the masculine world, if a woman greets men in a peculiar way then the woman is instantly not worthy of "being married", for she will be put on the men's black list. In addition, men tend to treat women as objects rather than as human beings with feelings and innovative ideas. And even though I am being highly critical towards men, I believe that women in Israel are yet to show their true hidden capabilities. All that is needed is to overcome a few obstacles.
The most pressing issue for the minority of Arab-Israeli women in the conservative Arab-Israeli community is the influence of community itself, which, undoubtedly, involves religion, society, and traditions. For a helpless woman to face rigid traditions is a great challenge. One example of how rigid a tradition can be is depicted in the following true story: One girl noticed that her mother cuts both the head and the tail of a fish before cooking it in the pot. She asked her mother why she does that, and the mother said that she got this habit from her own mother. The daughter then addressed her grandmother with the same question and she got the same answer. At last, the daughter addressed her great grandmother and the latter replied: "I cut the head and the tail of a fish because the pot was too small to fit". The traditions involving how we should treat a woman are simply inherited. So for a fragile woman to change the way we cut the fish is a painstaking task that requires substantial resources and efforts.

In order to empower men and abridge the gaps between both sexes, we need to fully understand the community that we are facing. By saying we, I mean that both sexes need to come together as one unit and grant equality to the underprivileged sex that has suffered for so long due to having a "small pot". A complete understanding of the bases on which the community stands is required.

Furthermore, women need to face their community as one unit, and not as individuals. When "divide and conquer" method is practiced, women need to unite against the community, by the community, and for the community.

Plus, if you are going to change a tradition, come up with something better. And so should women come up with a more efficient method in which human rights of both sexes are guaranteed, and moral rules in the community are not neglected. Change, but maintain.

Last but not least, change is not immediate. Although women are in desperate need to be given their rights, they should be aware that the road of amendments is long and changing the views of extremists and moderates alike takes a considerable amount of time. I have witnessed women coming together as one unit to a local feminist organization called Kayan in hopes that tomorrow will be better. Currently, we are trying to build virtual bridges that will soon allow women to move freely in their village, with no unjust restrictions whatsoever. Sooner or later, I believe, those women will succeed eventually.

"Some questions cannot be answered. They become familiar weights in the hand, round stones pulled from the pocket, unyielding and cool."
- Jane Hirshfield, poet, Princeton Class of 1973

This quote fully represents underprivileged women that are facing the pressure of their conservative communities. Yet, with the help of a unified position against obsolete traditions, the quote can be adjusted to become like this:

"Some questions can be answered. They become gifts given to our grandchildren. Full human rights pulled from history books, permanent and ubiquitous."

The project advocates for a transparent and equal jurisdiction in Israel's Ecclesiastical courts. Israel has 14 independent and separate legal systems covering Family Law administered by religious courts, including 10 separate legal systems for 10 Christian denominations. As opposed to the Sharia, Druze and Rabbinical courts, which are supervised by the Ministry of Justice, Ecclesiastical courts have full "autonomy". Procedures at these courts, hearings, codes and verdicts are not published, and judges are appointed by the churches alone. Due to the gender-biased traditions of the courts, women are the primary victims of lack of access to justice, accountability and rule of law.

The project involves the following current activities:
• Research: The Legal Department collects information about location, contact information, opening hours, procedures and the Codes of the Ecclesiastical courts from judges and lawyers, women who are or were litigants of the courts, and available material.
• Public information: The Legal Department prepares the publication of the collected information in the form of a booklet and on Kayan's website.
• Networking: The project is implemented in cooperation with the Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC) in Ramallah. The Ecclesiastical courts in East Jerusalem have authority over both Israel and the OPT, and are the only courts that have authority over Christian women in the West Bank.

By Jack Khoury (Haaretz)

Share this story: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1148259.html

Hours before the the murder of Hala Faisal-Salam, at the hand of her husband Basel Salam, her father in law, Ali Salam, the deputy mayor of Nazareth, marched at a demonstration against violence toward women in the northern Arab city.

Also at the march was Sheikh Amin Kana'an of the village of Yerka. His daughter, Manar, was murdered in her home in the village three months ago. 
 
The suspect in the murder is her husband.

"I saw it as my obligation as a father bereaved of his daughter in tragic and cruel circumstances, through no fault of her own, and as a man of religion to go to the demonstration and participate in this outcry and say 'Enough! Enough of the violence and the murder of women,'" Kana'an, well known in Druze and Arab circles, said.

About 1,000 people participated the demonstration on Saturday, mobilized by about 30 women's organizations and human rights committees, and attended by Arab mayors and the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee.

The many women who participated in the procession wore black and waved placards bearing the names of the women who have been killed in Arab locales in Israel in recent years.

According to the non-profit organization Women Against Violence, 116 Arab women have been murdered since 1986. In 2009, 10 Arab women were murdered, among them Manar Amin Kana'an, the mother of two children, a three-year-old and a three-month-old. Her husband, a banker, has been arrested on suspicion of the murder.

The sheikh's appearance at the demonstration on Saturday was seen as an exceptional event, as clerics do not usually participate in rallies of this sort. However, the sheikh declared that this is not a one-time act.

He intends to appear in workshops, take part in social and educational action and speak out against murder, especially murder of women.

"There is no religion in the world that permits murder as such, of anyone," Kana'an said. "Simply no one has the right to take the life of anyone else, no matter the reasons. Anyone who doubts this should consult his spiritual leadership and get an answer from them. Murder is murder, and the murder of a woman is no less grave than any other murder and it is no less painful. On the contrary."

The marchers did not spare criticism of the law-enforcement authorities. Attorney Shirin Batshon, coordinator of the legal department at the feminist organization Kayan, said, "the law-enforcement authorities choose not to treat cases of murder of Arab women with the severity merited by a criminal event."

Report in Arabic about panel "The Ecclesiastical courts - Overview and Women's Rights" at http://www.kayan.org.il/ar/inner.php?ID=153

The Directory gives full contact information of the Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic family courts in Israel. The brochure also provides an overview over the legal authority and independence of the Ecclesiastical courts. In addition, Kayan has published the Greek-Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Canon laws on its website (in Arabic). Kayan is the first institution to publish this information, counteracting the inaccessibility and lack of transparency of the Ecclesiastical Courts that harms Christian women's access to justice.

Download at: http://www.kayan.org.il/Public/publications/Ecclesiastical%20Courts%20brochure%20Jan%202010.pdf

Kayan's latest publication "Vacations, sick leave and maternity leave" (in Arabic) explains in simple language the complex legal matters surrounding the rights of workers to vacation, maternity leave and sick leave. Many women, especially part-time workers and day laborers, are unaware about their basic right for paid time off to recover from sickness, to care for newborns and sick relatives and to satisfy their basic need to rest. Kayan advises them about their rights and how to demand them from their employers, and also informs them that these basic rights cannot be waived voluntarily.

Download at: http://www.kayan.org.il/Public/publications/vacations.pdf

موقع العرب وصحيفة كل العرب - الناصرة
* قانون الجنسية المشرع عام 2003، يحرم الفلسطينيين/ات المتزوجين/ات من مواطنين إسرائيليين والذين يقيمون في إسرائيل مع عائلاتهم من الحصول على مكانة قانونية في إسرائيل.. 

ناقشت المحكمة العليا اليوم الأربعاء 24.6.09 التماس جمعية حقوق المواطن وجمعية أطباء من اجل حقوق الإنسان وجمعية كيان، ضد وزير الصحة ووزير العمل والرفاة، وطالب بإلزامهم بتطبيق قانون التأمين الصحي وقانون التأمين الوطني على الفلسطينيين/ات المتزوجين من مواطنين/ات إسرائيليين/ات وأبنائهم، الذين يقيمون في إسرائيل مع عائلاتهم بشكل قانوني ولا يستطيعون الحصول على مكانة قانونية في إسرائيل بسبب قانون الجنسية الذي يمنع منح تصاريح إقامة مؤقتة أو دائمة للفلسطينيين.
 
قانون الجنسية المشرع عام 2003، يحرم الفلسطينيين/ات المتزوجين/ات من مواطنين إسرائيليين والذين يقيمون في إسرائيل مع عائلاتهم من الحصول على مكانة قانونية في إسرائيل، وذلك حتى لا يحصلوا على بطاقة هوية إسرائيلية تمكنهم من التنقل الحر بين إسرائيل والمناطق الفلسطينية المحتلة، فخلال جلسة اليوم، أكدت الدولة على ان قانون الجنسية سن لأسباب أمنية ونفت أن يكون لتحقيق أهداف ديموغرافية أو اقتصادية. ولكن من لا يحمل بطاقة هوية إسرائيلية لا يحصل على الخدمات الصحية أو الحقوق الاجتماعية.  
 
 
منحت المحكمة الدولة مهلة ستة أشهر لتقدم للمحكمة التفسير لماذا لا تمنح الخدمات الصحية بحسب قانون التأمين الصحي للفلسطينيين، الذين هم أزواج أو زوجات وأبناء مواطنين إسرائيليين والذين يقيمون في إسرائيل بشكل قانوني، غير إنهم لا يستطيعون الحصول على مكانة في إسرائيل بسبب قانون الجنسية.

נתוני הלמ"ס שנאספו מקרב אקדמאים בתקופה של 3 שנים מסיום התואר, מצביעים עדיין על פערים בלתי נסבלים של עשרות אחוזים בשכר בין נשים וגברים. נתון חמור לא פחות: גברים אקדמאים מהמגזר הערבי מרוויחים בממוצע 67% ממשכורתו של עמיתם היהודי; בתחום המחשבים צונח הנתון ל-39%
 
מיקי פלד, "כלכליסט" פורסם:  01.06.09, 18:06 
 
הפער בין המינים בהכנסות מעבודה, גם בקרב אקדמאים, מגיע עד ל-75%, בתקופה של עד 3 שנים מיום קבלת התואר. כך עולה מנתוני הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה, שמתפרסמים היום (ב') ושנאספו מקרב בוגרי תואר ראשון בשנים 2000-2004. 
 
באופן מפתיע, הפער הגדול ביותר נמצא דווקא בקרב הבוגרים בעלי תואר ראשון במינהל עסקים - בו גברים הרוויחו 75% יותר מאשר נשים. בקרב בוגרי מתמטיקה, סטטיסטיקה ומדעי המחשב עומד הפער על לא פחות מ-74%, אצל בוגרי מדעי הטבע מדובר בפער של 69% ובקרב בוגרי לימודי המשפטים הפער במשכורת עשוי להגיע עד ל-65%. באופן פחות מפתיע אולי, בוגרי מדעי הרוח הם ה"שיוויוניים" ביותר, עם פער של 54% לטובת הגברים.
 
בלמ"ס מסבירים את הפער בין המינים בכך בהתפלגות של תחומי הלימוד, בשעות עבודה קצרות יותר בקרב נשים וגם בהבדלי גיל, שכן נשים בישראל מסיימות את לימודיהן בגיל מוקדם יותר מאשר גברים, בשל השירות הצבאי.
 
פערים גדולים נמצאו גם כאשר נעשתה השוואה בין ערבים ליהודים. על-פי הנתונים, ערבים בוגרי תואר ראשון הרוויחו בממוצע רק 67% ממקביליהם היהודים. הפער הגדול ביותר הוא בקרב בוגרי מתמטיקה, סטטיסטיקה ומדעי המחשב - תחום בו ערבים הרוויחו רק 39% ממקביליהם היהודים. מהנדסים ואדריכלים ערבים הרוויחו 49% ממה שמשתכרים יהודים בעלי אותו תואר. משפטנים ועורכי-דין מהמגזר הערבי השתכרו 65% מהשכר של עמיתיהם מהמגזר היהודי לכיתת הלימוד.
 
שיעור התעסוקה בקרב הבוגרים בשנת קבלת התואר היה 85% בממוצע והוא עלה ככל שחלף הזמן מסיום הלימודים. כך, שיעור התעסוקה של בוגרי שנת 2000 - ארבע שנים לאחר קבלת התואר - הגיע ל-90%.
 
מצבן של הנשים הערביות הלא-אקדמאיות חמור פי כמה
 
בארגון הערבי-פמיניסטי כייאן אומרים, כי "הנתונים המוצגים ע"י הלמ"ס מצביעים, ללא ספק, על בעיה חמורה במצבן התעסוקתי של נשים ערביות. נתונים אלו מראים, שהנשים הערביות סובלות מאפליה כפולה, זאת בגלל השתייכותן לשתי קבוצות המופלות מבחינת שכר - קבוצת הנשים והקבוצה הערבית.
 
"חשוב לזכור", אומרים בכייאן, "כי נתונים אלו מתייחסים רק לנשים בעלות תואר ראשון ולפיכך אינם משקפים במלוא החומרה את המצב האמיתי בשטח, אלא מהווים חיזוק לנתונים קיימים. נשים ערביות רבות מועסקות בתנאים פוגעניים, במסגרתם רבות מהן מקבלות שכר הנמוך בפועל מזה המדווח, או שאינן מקבלות את הזכויות הנלוות לשכר, להן הן זכאיות על-פי חוק".
 
* כתבה זו הועלתה גם באתר כלכליסט.