About 150 women from across the Druze community came together in the mostly Druze city of Maghar last Thursday to launch the Druze branch of Women Building an Alternative, a movement that advocates for women’s rights and representation throughout Israeli society.
“They came from nearly every Druze village—even from the Golan Heights,” said Lila Manal Khalife, a member of the leadership team and a Maghar resident. The women who attended represented the diversity of Druze society: older women alongside young girls, secular and religious, academics and public figures, mothers and career women.
About 150,000 members of the Druze minority live in Israel, mostly in the north. The community tends to be highly traditional and tight-knit, and only about 40% of Druze women in Israel work outside the home.
“We had expected to attract a certain kind of audience, but it turned out women from across the Druze community were interested and came to show their support,” Khalife said, noting that the organizers were pleasantly surprised by how many Druze women recognized the need for such a group.
The event featured speeches by Inbal Gilboa-Amir, head of Women Building an Alternative, and Salwa Abu Yousef, who is leading the Druze chapter of the organization. Sawsan Kheir, a professor at the University of Haifa, and OB-GYN Rajda Zidan Sweid shared their personal journeys to success, highlighting the importance of family and spousal support along the way.
Several men were also in attendance, including Maghar Mayor Taher Kazal and Amir Khnifess, head of the Israeli-Druze Center. “It was so encouraging to see men come with their wives, daughters, sisters,” Khalife said. “They said, ‘We want to be part of this.’ At the end of the day, we’re all part of the same society, and we all have the same goal.”
A play performed by Mays Nator Judeia and Bayan Antir addressed the dilemmas faced by Druze women. “We often give up job opportunities or roles because of the belief that a woman’s place is at home raising children, while men should provide,” Khalife said, describing the dilemmas.
While general Israeli organizations like Na’amat and WIZO already advocate for women, Khalife emphasized the need for one that speaks from within the Druze context. “Our community has different needs, different codes that you need to operate by,” she said. “We’re a conservative, tight-knit society. Even though we’re developed, those small nuances and ethical codes still exist—and someone needs to be within the society, within this community, to know how to relate to them.”
A longtime educator, Khalife walks a careful line between tradition and progress. “This is our piece of land, our small space,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re not disconnected—not from our society, our religion, our tradition, our culture, or our daily lives.”
While focusing on the Druze community, she underlined the broader mission of Women Building an Alternative. “We’re here to support women,” she said. “I don’t know what the needs are of an ultra-Orthodox woman in Bnei Brak or a woman in a kibbutz in the south. But we’ll support and help anyone who rises to the challenge and wants to make a change within her small society.”
While recognizing the existential issues facing all women in Israel, Khalife is clear about her priorities as a Druze organizer. “Before we tackle issues on that scale, we also need to address things that are a bit more internal,” she said. “We have many internal dilemmas within Druze society that are important to us, and we really need to address these needs before doing other things.”
The group has already begun internal discussions and learning sessions. At the event, attendees were invited to write down issues that concern them. “We wanted to hear directly from women of different ages, professions, and backgrounds, to understand how we can address them in the best way,” she said.
Though she acknowledges the long road ahead—“We’re still not in the Knesset, and unfortunately barely in local government”—she sees raising awareness as a crucial first step. “Even in the most basic places—in families, marriages, neighborhoods, cities—women still aren’t given the place of ‘Yes, I’m a woman, and I’m a citizen, and I’m a part of this society,’” she said. “Not everyone, of course, but you feel it.”
“Every woman has her space—whether it’s at home, with the family, with her children—and she can make a difference,” Khalife continued. “Not necessarily through drastic changes. It’s in the little things: How do I speak to my son? To my daughter? What does my son deserve? What does my daughter deserve? Do I support my sons and daughters equally? Do I cheer on successful women? Am I aware of my own needs and dreams?”
Looking ahead, Khalife and her colleagues plan to hold open lectures and a fellowship seminar, and to establish local teams in every Druze town. “We know we’re still in our infancy. But every step is thoughtful,” Khalife said. “We’re not just throwing around slogans—we’re here to act. We want to understand what’s needed, what’s possible, who our allies are, and how to move forward, step by step. We believe we can bring our society and our community to a better place, where every woman has a voice—and the opportunity to use it. Because every woman matters.”
