From 18% to Nearly 50%: How Arab Women’s Employment Became a Success Story
In May this year, Israel reached an unprecedented milestone: the employment rate of Arab women hit 49.4%. That’s nearly half of all Arab women of working age participating in the labor force – a figure that would have been considered fictional two decades ago.
To appreciate the magnitude of this achievement, it is worth remembering where things stood in 2006. At the time, only 18% of Arab women in Israel were employed, compared with over 53% of Jewish women. Fewer than one in five Arab women worked for pay. The prevailing assumption in government circles was that this was a matter of “mentality” or “culture” and that “until Arab society changes, there is not much that the government can do to change the situation.”
At The Abraham Initiatives, we refused to accept that perception. Armed with research conducted by economist Prof. Ezra Sadan, who quantified the massive economic loss caused by excluding Arab citizens from Israel’s economy, we insisted that the low participation of Arab women was not about “mentality” but about policy, infrastructure, and opportunity.
In 2008, we launched Sharikat Haya, a pioneering pilot program designed to test whether, with the right support, Arab women—especially those with limited education, living in peripheral towns and villages far from industrial zones—could join or remain in the workforce. The program, inspired by the JDC’s “Eshet Chayil” model, included:
- Employment-focused Hebrew and computer training
- Preparation for the labor market – from writing a CV to practicing job interviews
- Exposure visits to businesses and job fairs
- An independent placement and follow-up mechanism, parallel to state employment offices
- Long-term accompaniment to help women succeed in their first jobs
Within five years, over 50% of participants were successfully placed in sustainable jobs. The “mentality” myth was shattered. It was now obvious that Arab women wanted to work – all they needed was access, training, and opportunity.
The success of Sharikat Haya persuaded the Minister of Welfare at the time, Isaac Herzog, to back a nationwide expansion. This, in turn, paved the way for including the goal of encouraging Arab women’s employment in Government Resolution 922 (2015) – the first comprehensive economic development plan for Arab society. What began as a modest pilot by an NGO became the blueprint for national policy.
Fast forward to 2025: The employment rate of Arab women has nearly tripled since 2006, reaching nearly 50% this year. Economists estimate that this leap contributes around 15 billion shekels annually to Israel’s GDP. The government’s official target of 53% by 2030 is now within reach – and could even be exceeded if current trends continue.
But let’s be real: Serious gaps still remain. Arab women’s wages are still barely half of those of Jewish women and many are employed in low-paying jobs. The positive trajectory, however, is clear.
The lesson is a strong one: Change came from demonstration-based policy change, namely, prove what is possible in practice, then scale it into government strategy. At the Abraham Initiatives, we call it “Advocacy Through Action,” and it works.