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We Believe
Empowering Arab Women to Be
The word Kayan comes from the Arabic word for being or existing. Our name reflects the guiding belief of Kayan that social change can be achieved when women are empowered to exert influence and make decisions about their own lives as well as society as a whole. In order for this belief to be valid women must have the knowledge and confidence required to become proactive and self directed. The activities of Kayan lay the foundation for this process of women`s empowerment to take place.
Kayan was founded in 1998 by Arab feminist women with the goal of advancing the status of Arab women in Israel and protecting their rights. Kayan`s singular approach is to focus on grassroots capacity building that has a transformative effect on individual women as well as throughout society.
We strive to promote and defend the social, economic, and civil rights of Arab women throughout Israel; contest inequality in Israel by addressing the root causes of social exclusion and gender disparity; empower Arab women to set their own agenda of self-actualization; and provide tools to strengthen Arab women’s leadership in decision-making processes at the grassroots.
