About the Girls’ Empowerment Program
The Israel Tennis & Education Centers Girls’ Empowerment program seeks to foster autonomy and self-confidence among all girls living in Israel through tennis lessons, physical fitness, health instruction, and empowerment seminars led by trained professionals. Employing a mix of education, support and encouragement, the program aims to equip young women with the tools they need to make healthy choices and succeed.
Gender Empowerment Seminars are the forum in which the girls further define their future role as Israeli women and learn ways to promote gender equality in Israeli society. Guided by a qualified Gender Specialists and with the cooperative leadership of the older girls, the group explores topics of particular interest to them, including female health and wellness, nutrition, personal relationships, money management/budgeting and gender identity. The groups are introduced to an array of Israeli executive women and representatives of the Israel Defense Forces. These professional women speak and mentor the girls during the year. Their mentoring helps expand the girls’ view of the options available to them as women in the workforce and the military. Encouragement to pursue higher education is provided, as well as continued support upon their graduation from high school.
We’re not just telling our girls they can reach their full potential – we’re giving them the road map and the tools to make their dreams a reality.
ITEC’s Girls Empowerment Program was founded in 2013 by Rakefet Binyamini, former manager of ITEC Jaffa and Tel Aviv, ITEC alumnus and former Israel Tennis Champion. Rakefet reflected on her life experience and realized that girls at risk need an environment where they are welcomed and appreciated, loved, and free to develop into independent young women and productive citizens and that ITEC is that place. She says, “when I see one of the girls at the Center, I know she could just as easily be out on the street. More importantly, I know that ITEC may prevent her from roaming the streets in the future. I try to give these girls a brighter future.”
Over 170 girls at risk participate in the Girls Empowerment Program at the following centers:
- Akko
- Arad
- Ashkelon
- Beer Sheva
- Haifa
- Jaffa
- Jerusalem
- Kiryat Shmona
- Ofakim
- Sajur
- Tel Aviv
- Tiberias
If you would like to support the Girls’ Empowerment Program, you can by making a donation today!
