Neamat's story

Ne'mat: I got to learn that my voice in the elections does matter

My name is Ne'mat. I'm 40 years old, and married with 4 children. I've always been shy and introverted, not knowing much about my rights, or about life, in general. One day, while I was sitting with my neighbours, an ADEW employee passed by and told us about the various services that ADEW provides. I really liked what she said and decided to enroll in the programs.

I joined the "Arab Woman Speak Out" program which I really liked and learned a lot from, including communication skills, my rights and duties, healthy food, personal hygiene, and many other interesting topics that changed my entire lifestyle.

Previously, when I used to go to the medical center and was told there were no doctors or medications, I would just go back home, without saying anything. But now, after attending AWSO classes, I go to the medical center and ask for my right to have check-ups and the other services I need.

Moreover, one of the most beneficial classes for me was the Political Awareness class that taught me the importance of my voice in elections, and the role of the parliament members. It also taught me the difference between the single member district elections system and the electoral list system.

One day I was with my husband in his shop and an MP came to tell us to vote for him in the upcoming parliament elections, and while the people around us didn’t comment, I asked him "what will you offer us in return?". He replied saying he'll get our sons jobs and will pave the streets of our neighbourhood. I told him that these responsibilities should be those of the local council members, and not of the MPs. I then asked him to show us his electoral program, which got him totally shocked and left him silent. This is when I realized that he was telling lies and wasn’t going to do us any good, so I decided not to vote for him and convinced the people around me to do the same.

My husband was very proud of me and even my family started to ask me for advice because they saw how different I had become and how my personality had changed.

Arab Women Speak Out