It started with very few feminists and a lot of enthusiasm. But there was no organized agenda or regular protocol, so we had to find and invent ways to operate. When we began our journey, many thought of us as a handful of fanatics who would never deliver. But that wasn’t the case.
Messy and enthusiastic, a new feminist movement has emerged that has had a considerable impact on Israeli society. After 30 years, we can ask ourselves if it is possible to maintain an organization with regular activities while remaining feminist in our modes of thinking and action. Can feminism be institutionalized? Can there be a systematic, organized feminist organization?
In the early days, trying to change the world was a matter of everyday life, and that led to immediate action. Years of activity have made it necessary to organize, create order and working protocols. The organization has grown and changed over the years, as have the women who founded and created it. New women continued to join the organization, shaping it and making changes over time. Once we ceased being a small group of friends and became a large organization, the need for guidelines emerged.
As “Isha L’Isha” continues to live and endure, many of us feel that the organization is important and that it enables us to maintain diverse and dynamic feminist activities. “Isha L’Isha” is a home for all women, with active members coming from different backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations. They’ve all come here to grow, to contribute and to invest – some moving on while others stay.
Other activities that “Isha L’Isha” has supported and promoted include feminist conferences at the national level, the Al-Badil Coalition Against “Family Honour” Killings, Claf – a feminist lesbian community, and the founding of Kayan – an Arab feminist organization. We also consider our procedures and policies book to be an important contribution to the growth of the feminist community, which aims to help women and try to build a better and more equal society on a daily basis.
(Quoted from the organization’s book of procedures, written by Ayelet Ilani, Lili Buganim, Ruti Gur, and Orna Cohen, September 2000).
“Isha L’Isha” has several committees which deal with the daily activities of the organization:
The Board of Directors
Joining procedure
Membership duration and terms:
Responsibilities:
Main tasks:
Finance Committee
Joining procedure
The committee is elected once a year by the General Assembly
Membership duration and terms:
The committee consists of three staff members: the accountant, the fundraiser and a third team member. In addition, there will be two volunteers on the committee, including at least one member of the board of directors.
Responsibilities:
The committee is responsible for monitoring the ongoing financial state of the organization.
The committee is responsible for notifying the board of directors of any budget shortfall.
Main tasks:
The “Woman Power” committee
Joining procedure
The collective will select the committee with the number of members corresponding to the number of women on staff. Each committee member will be assigned a paid staff member she will accompany and support. An additional committee member will be selected to coordinate the activities and program of the committee, with no staff member assigned.
Staff will be consulted on selecting all committee members except for the coordinator.
Membership duration and terms:
The committee is selected for one year
At least one member of the committee will be a member of the board
Spouses of paid staff are not eligible to serve on the committee
Any changes in the composition of the committee must be approved by the collective.
Responsibilities:
The committee is responsible for supporting the work of staff, in accordance with the organization’s work plan, and receiving monthly staff reports.
It is the committee’s special responsibility to alert the Board of Directors to any difficulties in the work performed by the staff or in the implementation of the organization’s work plan.
Main tasks:
The committee will accompany and support the work the organization’s staff.
Each staff member will have a reference person on the committee to guide and assist her in advancing her workplan.
Ad hoc committees
Joining procedure
These committees will be elected by the collective or the General Assembly for a specific mission and a fixed term.
Membership duration and terms:
Will be set according to the mandate given to each committee by the collective or by the General Assembly
Responsibilities:
Will be set according to the mandate given to each committee by the collective or by the General Assembly
Main tasks:
Will be set according to the mandate given to each committee by the collective or by the General Assembly
Isha L’Isha Haifa Feminist Center מרכז פמיניסטי חיפה امرأة لامرأة مركز حيفا النسوي
Isha L’Isha Haifa Research Feminist Center
מרכז מחקר פמיניסטי חיפה
امرأة لامرأة
مركز حيفا النسوي للدراسات
Isha L’Isha Haifa Feminist Center
מרכז פמיניסטי חיפה
امرأة لامرأة
مركز حيفا النسوي
Isha L’Isha Haifa Feminist Center מרכז פמיניסטי חיפה امرأة لامرأة مركز حيفا النسوي
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