• Introduction
• Summary of Work with Women’s Groups
• Summary of Activities of Groups Entering First Stage in 2005
• Workshops and Seminars
• Publications in 2005
• Program for Increasing Awareness – 2005
• Training in Agriculture

Introduction

In the course of 2004 we worked with and trained groups in more than eight villages in the Galilee and the Triangle. We worked with women’s groups in four villages, offering them formal and systematic training to develop social, economic and agricultural skills. This involved 85 women who participated regularly in programs for their basic development. The experience gained by the program organizers helped focus on the most effective areas of endeavor and the lessons learned pave the way to the development of improved activities for the following two years.

In 2005 we plan to expand our work to an additional ten villages and to reach 200 women as direct participants in the program. This will be in addition to another 100 women who will participate in separate courses to increase their awareness and improve their skills. The coming year, 2005 will also witness the initiation of activities in the Negev where there are plans to begin with three villages. The project is presently conducting a survey to determine the specific needs of the women in these populations. The survey findings will be reinforced by work in focus groups at a later stage.

Summary of Work with Women’s Groups

Group 1: Al Batuf Regional Council – Local Social Leadership Group

Type of Activity:

Monthly guidance meetings to be continued through 2005, devoted to

• group formation and consolidation,
• enhancement of women’s local leadership,
• increasing social awareness,
• promotion of social empowerment.

Partners:
1. The Regional Welfare Bureau
2. The Batouf Regional Council

Objectives	Results and Achievements	Structure & Process
- Develop a  women’s group with leadership potential and create a women’s committee to organize the women of the Batuf region. - Improve  women’s status in the Batuf villages and increase their social involvement. -  Develop permanent and consistent involvement of  the leadership group in the  life of women in the village. Enhance the involvement of women in management of the economic affairs of the household and  increase their participation in other areas of decision making within the family.	-  A local 18-member women’s committee was created, possessing  leadership capabilities  and devoted to the welfare of the women of the Batuf villages. -  The group *  initiated the collection of clothing for children in the West Bank; *  contributed 500 new suits of clothing to two villages adjacent to Israel’s security barrier; *  organized an International Women’s Day event;  * organized lectures on violence in the family; * initiated action to solve the problem of lack of transport for children in the villages: gathered data, signed up families, approached the authorities to change the situation. They are presently negotiating with the local authority on the problem.  - In response to the committee’s request, the Local Authority contributed a clubhouse to serve as a center for women’s activities. - One woman has taken over the management of her father’s farm and introduced the cultivation of herbs and medicinal plants.    - 5 participants demonstrate a keen interest in involvement in the family farm and participation in the decision making process.	The group received a two-stage program: Stage 1 – An enrichment program to increase group members’  awareness of problems of women’s status, women’s needs, the family, communication, self esteem, assertiveness and more. Stage 2 – Training in community action, organization, formulation of work plans, how to set goals, working in cooperation, development of a women’s committee.

Continuity and follow up

The project offers guidance and conducts its follow up through the regular monthly meetings that focus on setting priorities and development of a work plan, strengthening the group’s skills, increasing membership, activity evaluation and development of group tools according to arising needs. In addition, the project offers technical guidance on agricultural problems and farm management issues especially for those who have chosen to increase their involvement in farming and food production.

The role of the local partner: The local Bureau of Welfare approached the Ministry of Welfare to obtain financing for the group’s activities and to ensure continuity. The Local Council contributed a permanent location to conduct the group’s activities.

Lessons learned

The group demonstrates a strong village mentality, stressing attachment to the extended family and tension among the female members. To a certain extent this limited group cooperation and the development of a team spirit. In future it will be important to identify such symptoms and try to turn them into opportunities, stressing the possibility of being both separate and also together.

Group 2: Tamra Group – Agricultural Development

Type of Activity: Agricultural training and development of agricultural employment for women, encouraging involvement in farm management and decision making for the household in general.

Partners: 1. Tamra Municipality 2. Tamra Cultural Center.

Objectives	Results and Achievements	Structure & Process
- Agricultural training for women. - Farm management training, increasing production and marketing of produce. - Improvement of women’s ability to ameliorate their economic and social status.	- 18 out of 24 women completed the program. - In 2005, 6 out of 18 participants entered on the independent farmers’ program, planting pomegranates and raising honey bees.  These 6 women will manage their farms directly, both technically and economically-financially. - Project advisors assume that additional women will follow their example once they see concrete results.  This should happen within about 6 months.	- The group participated in some 20 enrichment meetings on agricultural topics and 4 agricultural tours on various subjects.  - The women who chose to manage their own farms receive ten monthly hours of practical guidance.

General evaluation

Eighteen women completed the program, of which 6 initiated an independent farmers’ project. Three, assisted by Ahali – Center for Community Development, received bank credit under convenient terms to finance their undertaking. Four women purchased 20 bee hives and equipment for honey production and expect to obtain their first honey yield in May, 2005. Two will each plant a five dunam (half-hectare) pomegranate grove.

The program contributed up to date agricultural information to the women and prepared them to begin agricultural activities to improve their economic situation. It also helped them to become more involved in community life. Five of the women joined the Arab Farmers’ Organization and participate regularly in its activities.

Lessons learned

- The group underwent an intensive agricultural program but not enough emphasis was placed on building and strengthening the group to help improve individual self assurance and assertiveness. Social difficulties that some of the participants faced and due to which they did not begin their own farm management projects, might have been alleviated had they been more self assured and felt that they enjoyed group support. In future all programs will include a social component that will emphasize the participants’ skills and capabilities and strengthen their ability to withstand various pressures.

- The multiplicity of program topics detracted from the program’s ability to focus on its main goals. It was not possible to impart to the participants all the knowledge and skills needed to master each subject. The women will need additional guidance when they reach the implementation phase of any given project. Therefore, the project management decided that in future, programs would focus on one specific agricultural area, based on a survey of group interests.

Special obstacles

- Women participants in the project did not have access to or ownership of land. This limited their ability to invest in independent projects.

- Irrigation quotas were insufficient; women who decided to plant pomegranates had to initiate a lengthy procedure to obtain special water allocations.

-Opposition of spouses and other family members prevented some participants from entry into individual projects.

- In some instances individual economic difficulties served as significant obstacles to development of an individual farm enterprise.

Follow-up and sustainability

- Bee keeping initiatives enjoy ten hours of broad professional support throughout the year. This is in addition to the assistance and guidance in purchasing the hives.

- As a continuation, the group will receive a short course to reinforce their farm management and financial management skills.

Group 3: Arabe Group – Development of Rural Entrepreneurship

Activity Type: Development of rural women’s business skills and entrepreneurial abilities.

Partners:
1. The Women’s Economic Empowerment Association.
2. Arabe Local Council

Objectives	Results and Achievements	Structure & Process
- Improvement of participants’ economic status through development of independent businesses that suit their skills and abilities and contribute to the finances of rural families. - Social empowerment of women group members via economic empowerment.	- 22 out of 32 participants successfully submitted business plans that suited the village needs as well as participants’ skills.  - At the present stage all participants intend to begin implementation in the course of the coming year or two of the business proposal embodied in their submission. - In January 2005, five women applied for loans to finance their business plans.	- The group underwent an intensive 120 hour course on rural entrepreneurship, business  management, banking, taxation, preparation of business plans and marketing.  Training included a special section on developing assertiveness and self esteem, handling pressure, interpersonal communication, and social awareness. - The group went on tours to acquaint themselves with  existing rural businesses and learn of practical problems. - In 2005 the group will receive guidance via regular monthly meetings with a marketing specialist that will follow the development of the individual businesses and help overcome obstacles. Participants received 70 hours of training from “MATI”  (Center for  Entrepreneurial Improvement) specialists.   Participants were offered access to easy credit through the Womens’ Economic Empowerment Association, for establishment of  rural businesses.

Follow up and sustainability

The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC) model of “Savings and Loan” is being considered, in which a fund is developed into which women deposit savings and from which it offers loans to members.

In 2005 Ahali will follow up with the participants to monitor their development, check success rates, and record the number of women who reach the stage of developing a rural business in the village.

Measures of success

- The program achieved the goals it set for itself; the women acquired the knowledge necessary to develop rural businesses, consolidated an entrepreneurial idea and defined the business plan.

- The women demonstrated devotion to their goals, fulfilled all the program requirements and continue to attend the monthly guidance meetings with no fallout.

- The program timetable was adhered to.

- A significant proportion of the group members completed the curriculum in spite of its intensity.

Lessons learned

From an examination of the reasons for dropping out, it appears that the majority of women who did not complete the program could not adhere to the timetable because they had small children at home. It will be advisable to shorten the program from two years to one in order to enable more women to follow through and complete the entire course.

Group 4: Kafr Kara Group - Development of Women’s Enterprises.

Type of Activity: Economic empowerment by development of enterprises focusing on olive oil and olive products, a main branch of production in Israeli Arab agriculture.

Partners: The “Min Ajlak” association in Kafr Kara (a new local group whose purpose is to increase women’s awareness and to strengthen their status in the village).

Objectives	Results and Achievements	Structure & Process
- Economic empowerment of women. - Group guidance to  develop a cooperative marketing enterprise for olive oil, olives and other olive products.	- 20 women from Kafr Kara received training in economic self - development. - The group was trained to handle professionally the processing and marketing of olive oil and olive products. - Skills were acquired in quality testing and quality maintenance according to world standards. - An olive oil handbook was issued  on olive oil, its quality and handling. - The group prepared a plan for a cooperative business in which some members will invest and develop independent management skills. - The Local Council agreed to help in the rental of a building to serve as the group’s center of marketing & other activities.	- The program is divided into 2 parts 1. Theoretical training, field trips & development of a business plan. The group had twenty meetings that focused on three aspects: personal empowerment and development of business acumen; development of technical knowhow in handling of olive oil; financial management and preparation of a business plan. 2. Stage 2 will run from March through August, 2005.   In this phase the group will implement the full plan.  After finding sources of credit for the investors, they will build the filling, packing and marketing center.  - MATI will accompany the women and offer practical business guidance.  Note:  MATI – Center for Entrepreneurial Improvement.

Follow up and sustainability

Ahali – Center for Community Development will offer guidance in the following areas:

* Coordination of instruction activities with MATI, the regional Center for Entrepreneurial Improvement.
* Continuation of the formulation of business plans, including market research and feasibility studies.
* Provision of publicity for the business by directing local tourist groups to the Kafr Kara enterprise.
* Continued provision of professional instruction on olive oil production, storage and marketing.
* Assistance in product development, creation of ties with the Olive Marketing Board and with olive oil manufacturers.
* Assistance in approaches to the women’s credit fund in cases where financing is required for investments.
* Participation with the group in evaluation of progress of the business in its various stages.

Summary of Activities of Groups Entering First Stage in 2005

1. Eilabun

Women’s Development of Medicinal Plants and Products

Eilabun is an agricultural village in the Galilee. It’s main product is olives for oil. Another important branch is goats for the production of milk and meat. The population of the village is approximately 7,000 the majority of which are Christian with a Moslem minority. The village is situated in the center of a region rich in natural pastures and a variety of wild plants. This is the basis for the idea to attempt the commercial development of medicinal plants and their products.

Most women of the village are employed in agriculture during several months of the year. Few additional employment opportunities exist in the village and its environs.

The basic idea of the project is to train women to produce cosmetics from medicinal herbs and to develop independent businesses, thus improving their social and economic status in the community while expanding the opportunities for exploiting the agricultural potential of the land. The program is implemented in cooperation with the Al Meisam Center of the Galilee Research and Development Center. At the end of the project, all its participants will be capable of identifying medicinal plants, processing them and producing from them marketable personal cosmetics, health products and more.

Eilabun – Technical Training of Women in the Processing of Medicinal Plants

Activity types: Technical training in the processing of medicinal plants and the production of natural products.

Partners:
1. The Local Authority’s Bureau of Welfare
2. Activities will take place in the local YMCA center.
3. The professional partner is Al Meisam of the Galilee Research and Development Center.

Objectives	Target Group	Structure and Process
- Economic advancement of women - Improve the status of women and strengthen their ability to produce and improve their income. - Preservation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants through passing it on to village women’s groups.  - Encouragement of women to contribute to environmental quality and to embrace and to promote a healthy way of life based on natural products.	-  The target group was chosen from a list of women between the ages of 20 and 40 who are not employed outside their household or who receive government grants.  Average education level: between 9 and 13 grades completed.	The program is structured around 140 hours of instruction in 4 areas: 1.  Technical know how, getting to know the plants, human anatomy and medication. 2.  Formation of a learning support group. 3.  Financial management and business development. 4.  The scientific aspects are studied in the laboratories of Al Meisam  together with appropriate theoretical aspects. Each meeting is three hours long, twice a week for 5-6 months.

Project timetable

* February 2005. Organization of the group.

* March – September, 2005. Begin program implementation.

* September – October, 2005. Program evaluation. Provision of guidance to women entrepreneurs and preparation of group and individual marketing plans for the products produced by the group.

2. Kalansuwa

Entrepreneurial activities for women.

The Town of Kalansawa has a population of 20,000 and is situated at the southern end of what is known as the Triangle. It is one of the more important centers of agricultural production. The main crops are strawberries and cut flowers for export. The economic situation of the Arab farmers has been deteriorating seriously in recent years and each year fewer farmers continue to till their fields. This has direct repercussions on the women of the village; the most direct cause of the drop in women’s participation in the work force is the agricultural decline. In the past, almost all the women of Kalansawa worked in agriculture. In recent years, the majority perform no economic activities outside of the household. At a time when typical women’s occupations such as teaching and child care are becoming increasingly popular, there actually is little demand for them because of the lack of necessary services and infrastructure. A few years ago Kalansuwa was proclaimed a city but its traditional village character remained dominant because it lacked basic urban infrastructure. Meanwhile, the number of inhabitants has grown and this calls for internal economic development, especially the type that is managed by and serves women from agricultural families. The program designed for Kalansawa is intended to develop women’s entrepreneurship, enabling them to harness their abilities to the conduct of practical business ventures. The business ideas and plans they develop will be examined in the course of the women’s studies and at the end of the program the participants will establish their business program under the guidance of professionals in the various fields.

Kalansawa – Development of Entrepreneurship for Women

Activity types: Development of entrepreneurial skills in women and agricultural training in relevant areas, including protection of the environment.

Partners:
1. The Kalansuwa Community Center;
2. The Women’s Society for Economic Empowerment.

Objectives	Target Group	Structure and Process
- Economic development of village women -  Strengthen women’s status; improve their ability to earn an income and  thereby contribute to the family and society -  Develop  a supportive network among business women. -  Increase awareness in agricultural production and environmental protection.	- Women aged 25-35; -  Willing to develop an independent business; -  Or already operating a small village business that needs managerial improvement and development; -  Unemployed women.	-  The program is for one year. -  It contains 120 hours of study and training in personal and social empowerment, agriculture and environmental protection, financial management, banking, taxation, marketing and other subjects. -  The program is combined with personal training and guidance for each participant. -  The group also undergoes monthly enrichment sessions in various subjects as deemed necessary by the program management.

Project timetable

* February 2005. Organization of the group.
* March 2005 – March, 2006. Program implementation.
* September 2005. Interim evaluation of goal achievements with the aid of a satisfaction questionnaire for participants
* March 2006 – Final evaluation on completion of the program.

3. Jisr al Zarka

Technical Training of Fishermen’s Wives

The village of Jisr al Zarka is located just south of Haifa. It has a population of 5,500 and is the only Arab locality on the Mediterranean coast that was not destroyed in the conflict of 1948. Its reputation is heavily tainted because of its social and economic distress that expresses itself in difficult housing conditions and a high crime rate. Pelagic fishing is the only agricultural activity of the village. At present, the majority of those employed in the community work in neighboring factories and unskilled jobs in the Jewish cities in the vicinity.

Only a very small proportion of the village women have undergone higher education. Those who are employed either work in the service sector of the village, in the factories nearby or as domestic help in the Jewish cities close to the village.

There are only 47 fisherman left in Jisr al Zarka and these too suffer serious economic distress because of the government’s neglect and the lack of infrastructure necessary to solve their problems. The lack of even a minimal port or jetty to serve the small fishing fleet is a prime example of the state’s dereliction of its duty.

The fishermen have joined the Arab Farmers Association through Ahali and have become active in pursuit of their rights. The Jisr al Zarka program is designed to assist the fishermen’s families; the women of the families need to receive technical training that will enable them to contribute to the family income. A majority of the fishermen’s wives lack any economic skills and are unemployed.

Jisr al Zarka – Technical Training for Fishermen’s Wives

Activity types: Professional training and enhancing awareness of the need to protect the environment.

Partners:
1. The Community Center;
2. The Jisr al Zarka Bureau of Welfare.

Objectives	Target Group	Structure and Process
- Improvement of the economic status of women and their families. -  Offering technical training to women to enable them to enhance their family income. -  Strengthening of  the women’s social stature in the community and - Improvement of the village’s image in society.	First priority: Women in the fishermen’s families, aged 20-40.  - Women of the village in economic distress, including single mothers,  unemployed and others.	- The program is built on three levels: technical training, personal and social empowerment and development of managerial, business and financial skills. Program stages:  -  Organization of the group according to the criteria set out; -  Examination of the group’s needs and, with the members, determination of the direction of training; -  Program implementation, including accompaniment and individual guidance to those who develop businesses or business initiatives.

Project Timetable:

* January 2005 – Meetings with the women of the fishermen’s families.

* February 2005 - Enlistment of a local coordinator to organize the group and coordinate the training activities.

* March 2005 – Formation of the group.

* April-May 2005 – Initiation of program activities after having determined training objectives and developed a detailed training program.

4. The Negev

Project Goals in the Negev Region: Economic and social empowerment of women in the unrecognized villages of the Negev. The program expanded its activities to the Negev early in 2005. A part time local coordinator was hired to organize activities in the Negev. Two villages were selected for the initiation of activities in 2005. These are Um Batine and Wadi el Na’am.

Stage 1: Survey of the region and mapping of services and projects.

In this stage contact was made with the organizations that are active in the region. The survey indicated areas of activity, provided data on work being done and existing projects.

Stage 2: Preliminary survey.

The program prepared a preliminary survey to indicate women’s needs in the unrecognized villages. It is designed to reveal details of community existence, employment, housing conditions, social and economic services, domestic and agricultural production, if any exists, among women of the villages, as well as the women’s perception of their needs, their preferences and their priorities. The survey will be conducted among 50 women in the two selected villages and its findings will serve as the basis for preparation of a suitable program. Dissemination of the questionnaire and data collection will be completed by the end of March, 2005. In the course of this work the local coordinator will identify women with a potential to participate in the empowerment courses and she will contact them directly.

In future, the survey questionnaire will be submitted to the population of any village to be included in the program. This will enable a comparison among communities and provide a full picture of the situation among the unrecognized villages.

Stage 3: Creation of a program and of partnerships with local organizations.

April 2005 – Holding of focus groups for women in the two selected communities.

April-May 2005 – Formulation of programs according to the needs identified in the survey.

April-December 2005 – Implementation of the project activities for the first two communities and identification of additional groups in other villages.

Workshops and Seminars

1. Rural Women

An insight into the condition of rural and agricultural women according to research performed by women scientists who attempted to investigate the development and employment patterns of Arab women and their influence on society.

The workshop will take place on April 15, 2005 and comprise two sections. The first will include the presentation of two studies by Palestinian scientists on topics relating to rural Palestinian women. The second session will be devoted to an in-depth discussion of the status of Palestinian women and contain recommendations on appropriate action to be taken to achieve improvements.

The studies: 1. Women Cucumber Growers of the Western Galilee. A study by Dr. Ibtisam Ibrahim, Ph. D., a lecturer in sociology and gender studies.

2. Employment patterns of rural women prior to 1948, by Lina Miari, a lecturer in women’s sciences at Bir Zeit University.

2. Women’s Development Projects

An examination of what exists and what is desirable in the development of projects for the advancement of Arab women, with a comparative glance to learn from experience gained by Third World Countries in the field of the advancement of women. A position paper was prepared and will be presented by Ms. Lina Miari.

The date for this workshop has not been set yet.

Target audience

Workshop objectives

Publications in 2005

- A greeting card for International Women’s Day (March 8, 2005)

- An information bulletin on olive oil, material for use in workshops and women’s groups.

- An extension bulletin on bee keeping.

- Various agricultural extension bulletins

- Information publications on the Ahali Rural Women’s Empowerment Project.

Program for Increasing Awareness – 2005

The project developed a unique regional program, to be implemented in two key regions: the Galilee and the Triangle, in pursuit of the goal of increasing agricultural production and imparting reliable knowhow to Arab women. The program was advertised broadly and the invitation to participate was open to all comers, without social or economic limitations. From the groups formed, participants will be selected who demonstrate a promising business potential and express a desire to develop a specific area of economic interest.

Training in Agriculture

Activity types: Technical training for women and improvement of environmental awareness.

Partners: 1. In the Galilee – The Sakhnin Community Center.
2. In the Triangle – The Baqa el Gharbiya Cultural Center.

Objectives	Target Group	Structure and Process
- Raising women’s awareness and improving their farming skills.  -  Encouragement of domestic production, utilizing home grown agricultural  raw materials. - Increasing environmental awareness.	Women in general from the Arab population of the Galilee and the Triangle regions.	Three courses/workshops will be developed: -  Domestic food production as a substitute for “manufactured” products ( dairy products, pickles, dried fruit and vegetables, frozen food) -  A productive garden:  Creation of a home garden to produce food products for domestic consumption.  The garden would also contain herbs and medicinal plants. - Bee husbandry for the production of honey.

Project timetable

* March 2005 – Preparation of the programs (six courses-workshops are planned for groups of 20-25 women each. Enlistment of participants and formation of groups. * April 2005 – The courses begin.

In the course of the next several months another three or four villages will be selected for introduction of courses on economic and social empowerment for women.