By Amy Slater-Ovadia | Resource Development
Women's Spirit is an Israeli non-profit which assists women victims of violence to develop financial independence and occupational security.
Women's Spirit knows that financially dependent women are "high risk" women to suffer from violence and re-victimization. An alarming percentage of women, who transition out of a violent situation, eventually return to their abusive partners because they find that they are unable to secure a stable income and support themselves and their children.
If women victims of violence are to succeed in becoming financially independent they need long term support, individual guidance including coaching and mentoring as well as personalized strategies of action.
"Crossing the Street" includes: a) Employment direction process, where a personal professional plan is designed b) Participation in group employment training workshops and private mentoring/coaching c) Participation in occupational skills development courses, i.e. computer training, English lessons d) Integration into the employment world or participation in a small business workshop and establishment of a small business.
"She Believed That She Could Do It, So She Did" (anonymous)
To date 31 participate in the project, due to its success, "Crossing the Street" is expanding in 2015 to an additional welfare office in Jaffa as and the poverty stricken area of South Tel Aviv.
Ziva - "I began the course a short few weeks ago, I did it because "she", my Social Worker told me I had too... now I count the days till our next meeting and cannot wait to finish and meet my mentor, I have ideas, I want to be a hairdresser again, like I was before I married "him" at age 32, and so what if I am old, I still have a lot of years in me and now I can make my own decisions…"
Ziva – 58; divorced; mother of two; graduated high school; years of physical, financial and verbal abuse; wants to be a hairdresser again; will be looking for a job that will give her confidence in the field as well as possibly taking course (s) to reawaken her skills
The success of this program is not measured only by the success of the participants, but also through the change in perception and awareness that occurs, in Jaffa – in the beginning the welfare staff did not believe it would work, that the women they assist – could possibly make this drastic change in their lives. Now, the staff speaks differently; amazed at the progress the participants made and they understand more in depth the importance of financial independence for women who suffered violence.
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Violence against women is a fundamental issue in society: thousands of women are victims of sexual, domestic and emotional violence. Violence against women has severe, long-term implications not only on the victims' lives but also on society - we believe that society with such exceptionally high rates of violence against women is a society in trouble, and therefore society members must have the ability and awareness of how to manage the problem. Hence, much of our activity is oriented toward making a change in all parts of Israeli society, in order to provide the women themselves and the community with the tools and knowledge of how to reduce and prevent violence against women through the development of women's financial independence."
Look forward to your thoughts, questions and interest.
Amy Slater-Ovadia
Resource Development
Women's Spirit
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