Women’s Amutot Initiative
The Women’s Amutot Initiative allocates funds from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s annual campaign to organizations in Israel that empower women to improve Israeli society through social, economic, religious, and political equality. Click here to read more about the Women’s Amutot Initiative.
The Women’s Amutot Initiative was established in 2003 to focus exclusively on the needs and welfare of women and girls in Israel, utilizing strategic grant making and applying a gender lens in its grant making. The committee will consider funding projects that are consistent with its mission and promote social change in Israel by addressing one of the priority areas below:
• Economic Empowerment
• Social Empowerment
• Protection Against and Prevention of Violence
• Leadership Development
The committee is responsible for reviewing the applications and allocating grants to registered Israeli not-for-profit organizations that correspond to the Women’s Amutot Initiative’s priorities and guidelines. Organizations must have strong professional staff, focus on women or girls, be fiscally responsible providing programmatic and budgetary reports, have evaluation and assessment procedures in place, have other means of financial support, and compliment the Mission of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.
Links
About the Women’s Amutot Initiative
Israel study Trip
Download New Committee Member Application
Photo Gallery
Women’s Amutot Initiative – 2017 Grants
Protecting Women Against Violence
Association of Rape Crisis Centers: Changing Laws, Changing Lives
$19,800
A nationwide program to improve services offered to victims of sexual assault and to promote social change on a national level. The program includes educating professionals such as Knesset members, physicians, police officers, prosecutors, judges, and others who work with sexual assault victims. Provides women with free direct services in the justice process, including legal counsel to 200-300 victims a year and direct legal representation in 2-4 precedent-setting cases per year; its Hotline receives 40,000 calls annually.
Itach Maaki: From Silence to Security-Raising Voices of Bedouin Women to Combat Violence They Face
$11,000
Promotes safety and independence of Bedouin women living in the Negev and helps them combat violence. Approximately 90% of Bedouin women served complain about physical and/or sexual violence by their husbands and other family members. Through programs, influences public authorities and bodies to take an active role in protecting Bedouin women.Aims to develop an activism group for Bedouin women via training and workshops, assist @10 individual victims of violence per month, advocates with the local and regional police and with national policy making bodies to increase the enforcement and provision of welfare services.
Maslan Emergency Support Line for Domestic Violence and Sexually Abused Individuals
$12,400
Supports the Emergency Hotline, a 24-hour service for victims of sexual and physical violence. The hotline is staffed by 261 professionally trained volunteers that offer emotional and practical support and guidance in eight languages.
Tahel (Crisis Center for Religious Women): Production of Movies for Sexual Abuse Prevention Workshops
$14,000
To produce two films (one for children, one for parents) which would be used in workshops for children and parents to prevent sexual abuse in the ultra-Orthodox communities. Tahel’s educational workshop program enables communities to become aware of the problem of sexual abuse and work towards preventing future abuse. Films have been proven to engage the audiences, promote effective learning and change in behavior. These films will be suitable for use with children, teenagers, parents, teachers, rabbis, professionals and therapists and will use language and scenarios that are familiar to the viewers. The films will be appropriate for all populations, as they meet the needs and sensitivities of the ultra-Orthodox populations. To facilitate their use throughout the world, the films will be in English and Hebrew.
Leadership Development
Adva Center: Leadership and Coalition Building on the Regional Level
$7,000
To create and strengthen two regional forums (in the Galilee and in the center of the country) of women who are graduates of a previous community action project in order to increase their leadership skills and political power. Each forum will have eight monthly meetings. Each region will have a common project which will result in a lasting change in the localities participating in the forums.
Ma’ase Center Association: Ne’urim Program for Young Druze Women
$7,000
The Ne’urim program builds community involvement and leadership for 100 young women. These women will volunteer in 14 Druze communities serving as mentors and tutors for 2,800 Druze children and teens that participate in youth activities provided by Ne’urim Centers. The program is designed to instill leadership skills, self-efficacy, social engagement, and economic security.
Olim Beyahad: Excelling Ethiopian-Israeli Women
$14,000
Provides employment preparation and job placement for 50-60 new Ethiopian-Israeli female university graduates and students, ages 21-42. The program includes a mentoring component. Has an established network of over 1,500 volunteers, including 350 personal mentors.
Van Leer Jerusalem Institute The Center for the Advancement of Women in the Public Sphere (WIPS): The Gender Index
$10,000
Updates and expands the WIPS’s Gender Index to help facilitate the monitoring of gender inequality in Israel and to promote policy change based on the Index outcomes.
Village Way (Yemin Orde); Israelite Young Women’s Leadership Program for immigrant Youth (Mechina)
$ 7,000
Outdoor education empowerment activities on a transformative gap-year program for 35 immigrant young women ages 18-19 who are graduates of high schools and youth villages. Provide these young women, with opportunities to improve self-image, confidence, and leadership skills in preparation for their mandatory military service. The Mechina is a 10-month (September – June) residential, educational program that provides interactive workshops, community service, seminars, field trips and hikes.
WePower: Advanced Training, Mentoring, and Support for the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Israel
$13,800
To promote women's leadership and gender equality in decision-making positions of the public and political arena by increasing the number of women who run and are elected for public offices on national and municipal levels. The program is targeted toward women ages 22 and up from the diverse sectors and population from all over the Negev. The program will be operated in the Negev with the participation of approximately 250 women.
Social Empowerment
Achoti: The House of Achoti
$9,000
Provides women who suffer from violence, exploitation, and abuse a multi-cultural education, information and aid center that offer support, legal advice, workshops, and tools to develop activism skills. Enables women to engage in dialogue on many levels, and helps them remove themselves from exploitative and abusive situations.
Center for Women’s Justice: Developing and Enhancing legal Tools for empowering Women
$20,000To support the pioneering civil litigation approach in get refusal cases, while extending this strategy to encompass a broad range of issues stemming from detrimental religious court judgements and policies, such as custody and conversion. To increase the number and scope of its petitions, as well as pioneer new legal tools in its ongoing litigation initiative impacting the “torts for get refusal” approach, focusing on cases that are multi-faceted and encompass a range of issues stemming from detrimental religious court judgments, and creating and cultivating receptivity to, new legal paradigms that offer greater fairness and gender equality.
Mavoi Satum: Building a New Future-LegaL and Emotional Support for Mesoravot Get
$12,000
To provide women who are trapped in unwanted marriages with expert legal representation both in the civil and rabbinical courts, while at the same time providing individual psychotherapy and empowerment opportunities in order to help each woman rebuild her life and create a new future.
Rackman Center: Impact – The Project for Legal & Social Change for Women in Family Law in Israel
$15,800
Changing legislation and assisting individual women with difficult family law cases by identifying key issues in family law, to influence the law on a national scale using academic expertise and influence in legislation and policy. Works on all areas of family law in Israel and at both Rabbinical and civil courts. Prepares bills and regulations to submit to Knesset or government and promotes bills by working closely with lawmakers in Knesset and with other women’s organizations.
Shatil: Strengthening, Mobilizing, and Coordinating Women’s Efforts in Israel
$20,400
Aims to strengthen the organizational effectiveness and leadership capacities of Israeli women’s organizations, as well as assist activists and foster policies and legislation that promotes the rights and well-being of women, with a focus on promoting women within Israel’s religious establishment and public housing for women.
Tsofen: Empowerment Workshops for Arab Women in the High-Tech
$6,400
Offers empowerment workshops for Arab women in high-tech to answer the unique cultural and professional needs of Arab women in the industry, creating a space where women can learn from and with each other while advancing their career prospects. Tsofen’s Women’s Empowerment Workshops offer aspiring candidates and those already in the industry skills and tools to thrive and succeed in high-tech work environments.
Yedid: Single Mothers for Change
$7,400Supports the 800 women-strong national coalition of single mothers working together to remove obstacles to their earning capacity, including training groups of single women in community organizing and social activism.
Economic Empowerment
AJEEC-NISPED: Foundations for Women’s Success-A Pre-employment Program
$11,000
Provides advancement for Arab-Bedouin women in Hura, Rahat and Segev Shalom by assisting them to participate in the world of work and enabling them to become agents of social change in their communities. A pre-employment training program for women providing the women with the tools to establish small enterprises and engage in salaried employment.
Economic Empowerment for Women: A Business of One's Own: Introductory Empowerment, Business Development, and Financial awareness
$8,800
A comprehensive approach to helping 40-60 low-income and marginalized women reach economic independence through self-employment. The program includes meetings with empowerment and business facilitators, technical assistance and mentoring for women, as well as personal consulting.
ITWorks-Empowering People: Technological Careers for Women of the Negev
$7,000
Training and job placement assistance in the high-tech industry to 15-20 disadvantaged women from diverse backgrounds living in the Negev region. To train young women at risk in a sought-after technological profession, raise their employability through dedicated workshops that help them secure well-paid work that promises dignified careers and financial security.
Jasmine: Kulanu “All of Us”
$10,000
The program offers non-bank, interest-free, micro-loans of up to $1,350 USD to economically marginalized women in order to help them establish their own small, home-run businesses. In addition to providing micro-loans, the program provides tools and mentorship to help women develop a functional business.
JDC: Academic Internships for Haredi Women
$5,000
Haredi women’s internship initiative that will empower Haredi women toward economic self-sufficiency. JDC is creating partnerships between Haredi women’s colleges and employers to provide the internships Haredi women college students need to take their first steps toward lucrative careers.
KIEDF - Koret Israel Economic Development Funds: Financial Literacy Business Development Services
$10,400
Trainings and business forums with microfinance clients and entrepreneurs in business management areas, specifically in the area of financial literacy. Group meetings involving trainings and business forums to female entrepreneurs from the same localities, in the areas of financial literacy to improve their business management skills while also developing networks between them. This knowledge will enable long term planning, better financial management practices and the economic strengthening of these businesses.
Machshava Tova: Tech Employment Program for Disadvantaged Women
$8,000
Enable disadvantaged women to break out of the cycle of poverty through technological training, job search skills, resume writing, interview preparation, and basic computer skills. Provide 30 women with the opportunity to advance themselves in the workplace.
Mesila: Financial empowerment Program for Haredi Young Women
$8,000
Empowering Haredi girls and young women with financial literacy courses that give them tools for financial responsibility and independence. Expand the financial literacy programs program to encompass some 3,000 girls and young women who study in Haredi junior high schools, high schools and seminaries throughout Israel.
Turning the Tables: Vocational Training for Women Exiting Prostitution
$8,800
Vocational training in sewing, designing and pattern making for approximately 100 women exiting prostitution. The vocational training program is offered free of charge to women. Throughout the course, the women also receive counseling.
Tze’irim B’Yerucham (Young Adults in Yerucham): Sewing Their Way to Independence – Business Training for the Bedouin Women of RaChma
$6,000
To provide business training for 15-18 Bedouin women from Rachma, graduates of the Sewing course, to enable them to acquire and use business skills (product planning, marketing, budget management, contracts, etc.) to sell their products and generate income for themselves and their families.
Jewish Women’s Collaborative International Fund
$5,000
First year of a two-year commitment to support collaborative and effective efforts for women's rights and gender equality in Israel with a focus on labor rights. Partnering with Jewish Women’s Foundations and other nonprofit organizations.