Women's Empowerment
The women of Lod are leading advocates for a higher quality of the life in the city. They go to work, manage households, are deeply in touch with the needs of their communities, and yet too often lack adequate representation amongst neighbourhood leadership.
The significant populations of Ethiopian-Jewish and Arab women in the Old City area make it a premier target area for establishing innovative community building initiatives as part of a larger process of increasing social mobility and breaking cycles of poverty.
Jindas' women's empowerment programs fill resource gaps and forge a shared sense of community ownership, pride, and strong social bonds. As a result, women with talent and potential feel increasingly motivated to invest in their community' future.
Highly engaged neighborhood women play critical roles in improving quality of life for vulnerable populations, ensuring that residents feel a stronger sense of safety and belonging, and encouraging the next generation to become the drivers of ongoing community development processes.
Ethiopian Women Empowerment Group
This initiative evolved from an existing group of over 25 local Ethiopian women. Today, the group meets regularly for participant-determined special interest workshops. A professional organizer works to empower and support group participants to advance their own program ideas and initiatives. Meetings have also included instruction in traditional jewelry making and culturally-expressive cosmetics. Group meetings engage members on neighborhood matters and draw previously disengaged residents into an active community.
Arab Women MiniActive Workshop
This program is geared towards the local Arab community with a focus on Bedouin women. By shifting the focus of social change to the local level, residents become advocates for changes that make a significant difference in the daily life of their community. Women meet regularly and identify tangible fixes they wish to make in their environment such as repairing a downed street light or improving garbage collection on their city block. These small changes around a neighborhood add up to meaningful change and the expansion of an active group of women with stronger ties to each other, the municipality, and local agencies responsible for serving their neighborhood.