Women Leaders in the Negev: A Course for Training Women’s Leadership in the Negev

Recently, a graduation ceremony was held for the third cohort of the Women’s Leadership Course in the Negev, organized by the Itach–Ma’aki Association, in partnership with the European Union and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

This was not just another course or another event, but an additional serious step in advancing Bedouin women and strengthening their status and role in leading society in the Negev and in Arab society in general.

This course is considered a significant achievement for Bedouin women and for Arab society. It included a cultural and educational program that provided participants with practical tools for leadership and community entrepreneurship, as well as a platform to make their voices heard and to lead social initiatives. The course enabled them to break barriers, broaden their horizons, and embark on a professional and entrepreneurial path.

On this occasion, attorney Hanan Al-Sana wrote:

“For you, this may be just another picture.For me, this is not a picture.This is the future.This is the solution.This is the reality we are building, step by step, woman by woman.These are the graduates of the Women’s Leadership Training Course in the Negev.Brave, intelligent, committed women who chose not to remain on the margins, but to take their place, raise their voices, and lead real change in their communities.Every certificate here is a story of a journey.A story of overcoming barriers, of a dream they did not give up on,Of leadership born from the field, from life itself.If you are looking for hope, it is here.If you are asking what change looks like, it stands before you.And if you are wondering who will lead the Negev forward —Only with women.It is impossible without them!”