As part of the United Nations' 67th Commission on the Status of Women, the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, led by Ambassador Gilad Erdan, together with Israel's Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, the Rashi Foundation, and Google, held a unique event which presented an innovative plan titled, "Her Way" for economic independence and the integration of women who were previously victims of abuse into the high-tech industry.

"Her Way," which was presented as a prototype for implementation in other countries, includes personal accompaniment, preliminary preparation and training for employment in the technological world, in order to increase the chances of women breaking out of the cycle of economic violence.

The event took place at the UN headquarters in New York and was attended by diplomats and representatives from civil society organizations from around the world who came to learn from the Israeli experience.

Ambassador Erdan spoke at the event alongside Michal Cohen, the CEO of the Rashi Foundation, Yael Balla Avni, the Vice President of Programs at the Rashi Foundation, Ayala Meir, the Senior Director of Family and Children Community Services at Israel's Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs, and Shala Maimi, the Human Rights Special Projects Lead at Google.

Ambassador Erdan asked, "If countries work together sharing technology and best practices to fight terror, why should the same efforts not be made to combat domestic violence?"

He added, "Too many women suffer from the domestic violence, but one of the hardest aspects for many victims is extricating themselves from their poisonous relationships. Yet even when a victim of domestic violence is in a safe environment, another challenge arises – economic independence. Too many victims are too afraid of the day after – of how they can support themselves and their children – to even consider leaving their current abusive situations. So many women are stuck with their abusers because they don’t know how they can put food on the table without their abusive spouses."

"As Minister of Public Security, I aimed to flip the equation. To break the hold that the abuser has on the abused. And this is precisely what we are discussing today – how to make survivors of domestic violence economically independent and no longer reliant on those that cause them suffering. This is not only a gamechanger for victims, but also a deterrent for their abusers. Violent spouses now understand that they no longer have control over their victims. This is the mission of 'Her Way,'" said Erdan.

Michal Cohen of the Rashi Foundation, and a former Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Education, said, "Even today in 2023, the place where a person is born in Israel affects his future, his future earnings and his success in society. We believe that every person, everywhere, deserves to realize the full potential inherent in him and that is why we are working to break this difficult equation. Rashi received the status of an advisory organization to the UN in the field of human rights after four decades of promoting equal opportunities in the periphery - from birth to employment - and the fight for gender equality to prevent violence among women and to promote equal employment. Together, with our partners from the public, business and civil society sectors, we will continue creating a significant impact at the national level and initiating innovative solutions that will bring about a significant change in Israeli society."

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)