Women Lawyers for Social Justice

Itach Ma’aki acts in the areas of public housing, social security, collections, and other rights of women in low-wage employment,[3] as well as issues of sexual harassment and sexual violence in the workplace.[4] The Association provides legal advice, and represents women in legal cases, while also working to create policy change for various legal issues. A hotline is available for women to call regarding any legal issue they face.[5]

In the public advocacy sphere, Itach Ma'aki joined a group of Israeli organizations in 2009, which approached the Attorney General to examine whether the IDF violated international law during the 2008-2009 Gaza War.[2] Following the establishment of the Turkel Commission to investigate the 2010 flotilla to Gaza, Itach Ma'aki petitioned the High Court of Justice against the Government of Israel and the Turkel Commission due to the absence of women on the Government appointed Public Commission (HCJ 5660/10 Itach-Ma'aki v Prime Minister).[6] The petition argued that the absence of women on the Commission dealing with such an important issue contravenes International Law and Section 6c1 of Israel's Women's Equal Rights Law; therefore, the High Court of Justice is required to intervene. The High Court ordered the Government to appoint a woman to the Commission, and the Court's ruling on this matter constitutes, still to date, one of the legal foundations for appropriate representation of women.[7] The Association also asked to be allowed to submit to the committee a report from a gender perspective, so that the probe would include "the perspective of women peace activists, who are seeking to protest nonviolently, as well as the reality of women in Gaza, who are living under siege."[8]

The center works to promote and ensure the rights of Bedouin women. It was established in Beer Sheva in 2006, when the many calls to the Association from this highly marginalized group made clear the urgent need for assistance. One of the main areas the center assists with is with Social Security rights, especially income guarantee stipends for single mothers and women in polygamous marriages.[6] In addition, the center works on behalf of Bedouin women's rights through petitions to the High Court of Justice, attending Knesset conferences,[9] and publishing reports and position papers in collaboration with other organizations in the Negev.[10] In 2013, Itach Ma'aki published a groundbreaking report, which, for the first time, provides statistics on the extent of domestic violence against Bedouin women in the Negev. According to the report, 86% of the Bedouin women surveyed had suffered violence of some form. Among other findings, the report exposes how the lack of enforcement of the criminal prohibition on polygamy is one of the factors that increases violence.[11]

Itach Ma'aki represents the teaching assistants in their struggle for achieving comparable conditions and recognition within the education system.[12] As part of this collaboration, begun in 2011, the National Alliance of Teaching Assistants (NATA) was established. NATA raises awareness of the struggle through conferences, media reports, position papers,[13] and Knesset education committee discussions.[14] NATA enlists the support and involvement of Knesset members from the entire political spectrum, as well as parents' organizations, in order to increase teaching assistant salaries, end summer dismissal of special-needs and medical-needs teaching assistants, add a second assistant in kindergartens, and create a dialogue with senior officials in the Ministry of Education and the Center for Local Government.

In 2011, the Association filed lawsuits on behalf of women working in non-officially recognized kindergartens within the Ultra-Orthodox community for equal employment terms as those of women working in official State recognized kindergartens.[9] The Regional Labor Court ruled that equal terms of employment are mandatory. The significance of the ruling is that it compensated the women for the terms of their employment up until the date of the ruling and provided an opening for additional teaching assistants to demand comparable conditions.[9][15]

The Association's City for All project is inspired by the model women's network established in Rishon LeZion, which aims to advance the status of women and promote gender equality locally.[16][17] Through duplication and development of the model, the Association hopes to develop gender mainstreaming that will actually integrate women into decision-making processes in local authorities.[18] As of 2019, the model is being implemented in the cities of Acre,[19] Tayibe, and Haifa.[20]

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 of October 31, 2000, promotes diverse representation of women in decision-making positions, protection of women from violence, implementation of gender analysis and gender mainstreaming, and the prevention of conflict.[21] This decision was adopted by the State of Israel and enshrined in the Women's Equality Law of 2005. Despite the adoption of the law, has not been practically implemented.[22] Therefore, since 2007, the Association has been acting through petitions to the High Court of Justice, the establishment of conferences and seminars,[23] and participation in committees in the Knesset, in order to implement and advance the resolution's commitments.[24]

Inspired by many countries worldwide that have advocated comprehensive action plans to implement these principles, the Association, together with dozens of women's organizations, drafted a comprehensive plan of action. Two years later, the plan was launched at a convention and was presented to the Government, Knesset members and ambassadors from all over the world.[25] In December 2014, following intensive efforts to advance the overall plan of action, the Israeli Government decided that the State will formulate a Governmental Action Plan. According to the Government's decision, the future plan will be based on global examples and the comprehensive plan of action drafted by the civil society.

In 2015, the Association’s Haifa branch created “Choice” – the center of rights and activities on the ground for Arab and Jewish women. The purpose of the Center is to develop and strengthen activism among groups of Arab and Jewish women in the North, to raise awareness of socioeconomic rights, to protect women from violence, and to improve enforcement of their rights. The Center, staffed by lawyers and psychologists, runs a number of projects designed to achieve these goals. Center activities are based on extensive cooperation between civil society organizations in the North and various municipal authorities.[26]

Itach Ma'aki supports a national group of young women activists from various backgrounds who act to change policy on issues facing marginalized youth who lack support systems and services once they turn 18. The Association belongs to a collaborative group with the Women’s Courtyard and the Forum of Young Women’s NGOs. The group’s goal is to engender critical thinking for getting the issue onto the public agenda and changing the prevailing situation in which policy regarding young women is shaped without their participation and without their knowledge.[27]

Together with the Heschel Center for Sustainability, Civic Leadership, and the Heinrich Bőll Foundation, Itach Ma'aki is working to promote the 2030 Agenda in Israel. Activities include the November 2018 milestone conference, attended by 120 civil society delegates and the issuing of the July 2019 Government Report, drafted by an inter-ministerial task force appointed by the Prime Minister, and which will be submitted to the United Nations.[28][29]

Deals with health and safety hazards that cleaning women and caregivers for the elderly are exposed to in their work, specifically the use of hazardous substances. This project involves a number of stages: mapping of needs, reviewing the existing situation and building a database, forming groups to empower women and train them for on-the-ground activities, and raising awareness among cleaning women and caregivers for the elderly.[4]

This project arose as a result of women’s experiences in the institutional health system in Israel and of participants in the Legal Feminism Clinic run by Itach Ma'aki, recognizing the inherent difficulties and the complex balance of power present in the doctor-patient relationship. Through the Legal Feminism Clinic, the Association published a groundbreaking position paper on this subject. The project's goal is to raise awareness among patients and the public, and promote public policy to create an effective response system in the healthcare system to deal with complaints and provide treatment for women who experience sexual harm and abuse by caregivers.