Running for Women and Their Bodies

We are and thrilled and proud that Dr. Sophie Walsh ran the Tel Aviv Marathon, on Friday, April 24^th, 2009, for herself and for Women and Their Bodies

“I grew up in an environment where volunteerism and charity work was an integral part of our lives. Doing this run for charity is an extension of who I am.”

Born and raised in England, clinical psychologist Dr. Sophie Walsh immigrated to Israel in 1994. In addition to running her own private clinic, Sophie lectures regularly at Bar Ilan University. Sophie has run a half-marathon, but this will be her first full marathon (42.195km). Sophie’s personal goal was to raise 10,000 NIS for Women and Their Bodies and succeeded in raising almost 15,000 NIS.

“I chose WTB not only as an organization furthering women’s health but also because WTB is a peace initiative bringing together Jewish and Arab women to make health awareness and care accessible to all sectors.”

Women and Their Bodies, founded in 2005, is a unique organization of Israeli women, Jewish and Arab, who seek to provide accessible, pragmatic, research-based information about women’s health and sexuality in order to raise awareness amongst women, regardless of age, socio-economic status and ethnicity, throughout Israel. Women and Their Bodies is fortunate to have generous an unbelievable network of over 300 devoted women volunteers giving of their time and their skills.

Our Main Activities Include:

The massive and vital task of creating local and culturally adapted Hebrew and Arabic editions of ‘Our Bodies, Ourselves’, an unparalleled women’s health guide, to serve the entire female population of Israel;
An online information center in Hebrew and Arabic (online in June 2009)
Community outreach workshops on women’s health rights and sexuality

5 Facts about women’s health in Israel:

Did you know: Israel’s teenage girls are rating highest in dieting and weight loss, compared to the entire western world!
Did you know: Israel is now #1 in performing plastic cosmetic surgery for young women.
Did you know: Most women feel that that they are getting insufficient information and inadequate address from their physicians.
Did you know: Heart disease is the #1 killer in women!!
BUT
Did you also know: Heart disease in women is Israel is not researched sufficiently and often belatedly diagnosed and mistreated.

We enable women in Israel to protect and promote their own health, for the benefit of themselves, their families, communities and the entire society by providing them with information to make informed choices.