Name of Initiative: Economic Development   Goal: Promoting the employment and integration of Arab women in the workforce    In cooperation with: JDC, Kav Mashve, Mussawa

Background and Significance

Although Israel's Arab citizens account for one-fifth of the country's population, the economy of Israel is largely oriented toward its Jewish population. The Poverty Report (National Insurance Institute, 2006) indicates that over 54% of the country's Arab citizens were living in poverty in 2006, compared to 14.7% of the country's Jewish citizens. The widespread poverty among Arab families is attributed, for the most part, to the low employment rate of Arab citizens.

Based on the belief that the integration of Israel's Arab population in the Israeli economy will enhance the socio-economic status of Israel's Arab public as a whole, and in addition, will serve as a platform for Jewish-Arab cooperation, The Abraham Fund initiated the Economic Development Venture in 2007.

The Venture is directed, first and foremost, toward promoting the employment of Arab women and their integration into Israel's labor market. Furthermore, the program is aimed to promote fair representation of Arab employees in the civil service, increase their participation in the government, and expand employment of Arab academics in the private sector. Planned economic studies will help garner support for Jewish-Arab economic partnerships in this area.

Sharikat Haya – Partnership for Life

Arab women - especially in rural settings - are Arab society's most significant untapped economic resource. In 2006, Arab women's participation in the workforce was a mere 19%, significantly below both that of Arab men (59.7%) and of Jewish women (56.0%). This fact significantly reduces many families' chances of breaking out of the vicious circle of poverty. At the same time, Arab women’s limited participation in the labor market perpetuates male hegemony and, with it, the continued detriment of the status of Arab women. 

The Abraham Fund maintains that the integration of Arab women in the labor market will improve the economic and social status of Arab women, expand integration of Arab citizens in Israeli society, and economically empower Arab society in general.  Therefore we have launched the Sharikat Haya – Partnership for Life Initiative to promote the employment of Arab women. 

The Initiative operates primarily in Shaghor, Nahef, Sachnin and Arabe, assisting married and unemployed Arab women break out of the circle of poverty. It also helps promote their involvement in community life, and empowers their status in the home and the community. 

Activities:

• Leading a public campaign designed to transform public perceptions and gain community support for Arab women's employment outside the home. 
• Identification of potential employment candidates, including selection and training in how to compete for jobs effectively.
• Gain support of potential employers for the employment of Arab women, based on an appreciation of the need for social change in combination with economic-business considerations. 
• Identification of potential jobs, including the organization of a job fair.
• Support for women participating in the program, before and during their employment.
• Seminars for women participants, potential employers, and decision makers from relevant areas
• Establishment of a regional oversight committee as well as similar smaller committees within the communities
• Public Awareness Campaign, publication of articles in the printed and electronic press
  

The initiative is conducted in collaboration with the JDC.

Equal Opportunity – Kav Mashve 

In Israel, there are 31,000 Arab university graduates but only 16,500 are employed in positions that fit their education and skills.  Moreover, despite the fact that the number of Arab university graduates has risen over the past years, their employment opportunities within the Israeli work force have remained limited. While the rapid growth in the hi-tech industry has made a considerable impact on the Jewish population, Arab employees constitute a mere 3% of all employees in this industry. Studies based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics indicate that the chances of Jewish university graduates of finding employment suitable to their qualifications are five times greater than Arab university graduates.  Moreover, the wage differential between Arab and Jewish graduates in similar jobs is 30%, in favor of Jewish graduates.

The Equal Opportunity Initiative was developed by The Abraham Fund to integrate Arab university graduates into the Israeli job market, in jobs that fit their qualifications and skills.  To promote its vision of economic equality and social integration for Arab graduates, The Abraham Fund joined with Kav Mashve, a non-profit organization, to provide assistance in developing and leading the Initiative. Kav Mashve, a coalition of employers that supports equality for Arab graduates, was established in 2007 with the aim of creating an environment that is open to promoting equal opportunity and encouraging the employment of Arab graduates in the Israeli workplace. The organization aspires to significantly increase the number of Arab graduates who are employed in business and public companies in jobs that fit their qualifications and offer commensurate remuneration. 

Activities:

• Building a database of Arab graduates who are unemployed or employed in positions that do not fit their education or qualifications. 
• Building a database of professional positions, and developing strategic procedures for promoting diversity in the workplace. 
• Developing a Career Center that offers support in the following areas: employment searches, self-marketing, familiarization with the structure and content of jobs in various companies and organizations, Business English, courses on the capital market, and other courses in high-demand areas. 
• Providing ongoing support to candidates in the job-seeking process, from the initial steps to placement.

Career Guidance Centers

Israeli society typically has deep gaps that divide the Jewish and Arab populations, marked by significant differences in the levels of economic activity in both sectors. One way to bridge these gaps and improve the economic condition of the Arab population is to expand employment and make efficient and full use of the available human resources. Such a change would empower the Arab society and contribute to the development of the Israeli economy as a whole. 

In the Arab population, women, older adults, and graduates in fields that are not in demand in the market are among the groups employed in jobs that do not fit their qualifications.
To expand employment, increase participation of Arabs, and improve their status in the labor market, The Abraham Fund Initiatives and Mussawa are working jointly to establish a network of career guidance centers. 

Career guidance centers will contribute to the improvement of the present situation in the following ways:

• Offer guidance in choosing a profession and identifying employment opportunities. 
• Offer guidance and advice on training, education, and employment related issues, including the selection of a training course. 
• Offer training programs that ultimately improve the employability and competitiveness of Arab candidates. 
• Plan and execute actions that promote placement according to market demands. 
• Appeal to potential employers and connect them with Arab candidates. 
• Offer service programs to facilitate the integration of Arab employees in the workplace, including government agencies, auxiliary units, and government-owned companies. 
• Offer multi-cultural training for potential employers, and expand their knowledge regarding the Arab population.