“If we do our job correctly, [by 2121], it should not be an issue anymore – not race, not religion, not gender,” said World WIZO (Woman’s International Zionist Organization) CEO Anita Friedman.
Speaking Tuesday at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference,
Friedman said that her organization, which was established 101 years ago, has been rolling out groundbreaking projects and programs to bring out the awareness of the status of women to make sure that society looks at it as a societal problem and not a “women’s issue.”
“It is not a women’s issue, it is a societal issue. When it is looked at like that, then we will make progress,” Friedman stressed.
But she outlined the work of her organization, which although centered on women, supports many parts of Israel in various ways.
WIZO was established with three pillars: Zionism, feminism and volunteerism.
In the beginning, WIZO started youth villages where they trained women to make sure they were part of creating the State of Israel. They established a network of daycare centers, programs for new immigrants and shelters for battered women.
“We look at all these issues in a holistic way,” Friedman explained.
“We have been fighting for 101 years to close the gaps between the haves and the have-nots in this country,” she said. “We believe in education … and bringing awareness of all of these issues is what makes change in society.”