Based on decades of experience in local capacity building and empowerment, Givat Haviva implements numerous programs, some that aim to improve the status of Arab women and others that build partnerships between Arab and Jewish women for joint empowerment and the promotion of Shared Society.

The centerpiece of this activity for the past two years has been the Women Leading Social Change Conference at Givat Haviva, featuring prominent Jewish and Arab women spearheading women’s political and economic empowerment. The aim of the conference is to offer a platform for the growing nucleus of pioneering women leaders, Arab and Jewish, to have their voices heard in the media and to share their ideas and experience, encouraging the development of female leadership in Israeli society.

This year's conference is sceduled for December 12, 2018. Save the Date!

Other key program areas focusing on women’s empowerment and partnerships are:

• Women Cook for Peace: Five Jewish and five Arab women meet as a group in each other's homes to share traditional recipes, customs, holidays, and cultures. They cook together, get to know each other in their home environments, and enjoy facilitated discussions around the table. This unique Givat Haviva program creates a rare opportunity for intimate social contact between women in the two populations.

• Women’s Stories: A group of up to ten Jewish and Arab women create a 40-50 minute documentary, relating the life stories of the participants and their process of getting to know each other and making the film. The stories will focus on the women’s strengths and accomplishments in the context of their life situations. Both the filmmaking process and screening of the completed documentary will provide a tribute to women’s ability and inspiration for others.

• Through Other’s Eyes - Women brings together Jewish and Arab women through the medium of still photography. Led by two professional photographers (one Arab and one Jewish), the participants use the camera as a lens to explore each others’ lives and interest, and to create a joint statement in a final exhibition of the works produced during the class.

• Businesswomen's Club: Jewish and Arab women entrepreneurs in the region meet for a series of lectures in which they learn important information relating to running a business: accounting, taxes, contracts, marketing, etc. All meetings are jointly facilitated by a Jewish and an Arab facilitator to ensure full accessibility to members of both groups.

• Promoting Women's Leadership: this new program prepares women to run for public office. Ten Jewish and ten Arab women interested in running for office in the next round of municipal elections participate in an in-depth series of lectures and workshops designed to give them knowledge and skills needed to run a campaign, such as handling public relations, performing well in media interviews, networking, and fundraising. These meetings also create a network of women who will be in a position to cooperate with each other and promote cooperation among their various municipalities once elected. All sessions are jointly facilitated by a Jewish and an Arab facilitator.