The past five years have seen an increase in dozens of percent in the number of Arab women attending universities and colleges in Israel. Currently, they outnumber male Arab graduates. Reality in Israel, however, pours cold water over this impressive figure, compiled by the Office of the Prime Minister. Despite the growth in the number of students, only 27% of Arab women are employed, compared with 74% of Jewish women.
There are a variety of reasons for this, with cultural-religious factors last on the list in terms of importance. Higher on the list are a series of objective sectorial difficulties, such as a lack of public transportation, access to urban employment areas and lack of proper training. On Oct. 29, the prime minister’s office will hold its fifth annual convention for the Arab sector. The employment challenge will be one of the main agenda items among the discussions, which will be attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and nearly all government ministers.