Goal 5: Gender Equality
ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER
ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS
Research
Protecting Women’s Reproductive Rights
Obstetric Violence
Feminist-philosophical research on birth and obstetric violence developed by Prof. Sara Cohen Shabot, head of the Women and Gender Studies Graduate Program in the Faculty of Humanities, has informed recent discussions by providing arguments that explain the complexity of the phenomenon. Examining worldwide data on birth research has led her to understand that obstetric violence is, in fact, gender violence.
Public Engagement
Faculty Support for Community Social Workers
Prof. Hadass Goldblatt from the Department of Nursing volunteers to counsel the staff of Ohela, a local organization that treats women who have experienced complex sexual traumas. Employing her clinical social work expertise, Goldblatt supports Ohela staff members as they cope with the unique challenges they face.
Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health
Students at UofH volunteer in both the policy and education departments at Open Door, the leading sexual health education organization in Israel. The Open Door training programs boost both economic and personal empowerment and help create jobs in the field of sexual education, while increasing knowledge of sexual and reproductive health throughout Israel.
Learning and Students
First generation female students
29% of first-year students were women who are the first members of their families to enroll in Higher Education; a 12% rise from last year!!
Druze Women’s Business Community
Over 500 Druze women attend UofH. The l’Sabil (“The Road”) Druze Entrepreneurial Group operates in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Students. It is the first women’s business community in Israel intended for Druze female students.
Geopolitics of Gender and Migration
As of 2019, approximately 80 million people across the globe have been displaced or fled from their homes or homelands. 50% of these refugees are women and girls. Taught by Dr. Ruth Presser of the Department of Gender Studies, the course Women in Movement – Feminist Perspectives on Immigration and Refugees examines gender and migration within the context of geopolitics, power dynamics, and identity.
Operations
Commission for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment
To foster a campus environment that is free of sexual harassment, the University appointed Prof. Anat Derech-Zahavi to head the Commission for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment. 
This past year the committee reviewed complaints; provided faculty and staff training workshops; published new policy; and established an open access archive for the complaints.
Mentoring Women Researchers
Project METIS is a new initiative of the Gender Equity Unit, headed by Prof. Shulamit Almog. METIS is designed to mentor, counsel and assist women researchers at the University of Haifa. Métis in Greek mythology symbolizes female power and represents the demand for equal voice and agency.
