Women and their Bodies – WTB

Working for women, their health and quality of life by raising awareness, and promoting health rights, and fostering the basic belief that women make the decisions over their bodies and sexuality.

Women and their Bodies holds The Midot Seal of Effectiveness it was granted after an assessment to analyze the work being done at WTB. The Midot Seal of Effectiveness is given to NGO’s that prove effectiveness and social impact and Value.

round up for Women and their Bodies, small change great impact

Welcome to Women and their Bodies’ women’s health information center!

The web site provides simple, clear and reliable information about women’s health, sexuality and quality of life in Israel. Here you can find information about tests, studies, sexuality, nutrition, and sports, in addition to recommendations for self tests, alternative medicine, and a world of experiences of women across the social spectrum in Israel.

The information in this site is collected by Israeli women in a variety of professions, and presented in a way that encourages women to get to know their bodies, health and sexuality, while minimizing ignorance and developing a conscious approach to the medical institution. Our aim is to allow a complex and interesting reading that drives women to act for advancing their personal health and the health of the people around them.

“جمعية المرأة وكيانها” ترحب بك بمركز المعلومات الالكتروني.

أقيمت جمعية “المرأة وكيانها” في أعقاب المعطيات المقلقة حول الوضع الصحي للنساء في إسرائيل وإدراك غياب الموارد المعرفية التي تتيح للنساء معرفة أجسادهن، جنسانيتهن وصحتهن ورفاهيتهن، من خلال رؤية نسويه ممكنة. نحن نعمل على الدفع قدماً بهدف التغيير الاجتماعي والمجتمعي بما يخص تصور النساء لأجسامهن، ونظرة المجتمع والمؤسسات الطبية لجسم المرأة وصحتها ورفاهيتها.

إحدى مشاريعنا هي مركز المعلومات الكتروني الذي يهدف للإجابة على حاجة النساء للحصول على معلومات علمية وموضوعية سهلة، واضحة، مركزة، محتلنة، ومستجدة حول الصحة, الجسد والجنسانية في موقع واحد موثوق ويمكن الاعتماد عليه. إن ايجابيات الموقع تكمن بتسليط الضوء على واقع النساء الفلسطينيات في إسرائيل في مواضيع مختلفة مثل: الصحة الجسدية، الصحة النفسية، الصحة المهنية والبيئية، الإدمان على مواد مختلفة، العنف ضد النساء، جوانب خاصة فيما يتعلق بأمراض النساء العامة، علاجات الخصوبة، الحقوق الخاصة بجهاز الصحة، فحوصات طبية وأبحاث وغيرها من الأمور التي تهم المرأة وصحتها، من اجل محاولة تقليص فجوة عدم المعرفة ورفع الوعي ولخلق موقف واع أمام الجهاز الطبي.

المواد المتواجدة بمركز المعلومات الالكتروني كتبت على يد نساء تمثلن مجموعة متنوعة اجتماعياً، دينياً، ثقافياً وأجيالا مختلفة ومتعددة التنوع المهني مثل: المجال الطبي والصحي، علم النفس، التربية، الدراسات الجنسية، علم الاجتماع، علم الجندر (النوع الاجتماعي)، إدارة الأعمال، الترجمة الموضوعية وغيرها.

האתר נועד לספק מידע פשוט, בהיר ומהימן, אודות בריאות, מיניות ואיכות חיים של נשים בישראל. המידע מוצג באופן המעודד התוודעות נשים אל גופן, בריאותן ומיניותן, תוך צמצום חוסר הידע ומתן עמדה מודעת יותר אל מול הממסד הרפואי. אנו מזמינות אותך למצוא באתר מידע אודות בדיקות, מחקרים, מיניות, תזונה וספורט וכן המלצות על בדיקות עצמיות, רפואה משלימה, ועולם שלם וייחודי של חוויות של נשים שונות ממגוון הקשת החברתית בישראל.

המידע שתמצאי באתר זה נאסף ע”י מאות נשים ישראליות המייצגות מגוון מקצועי רחב (רופאות, סוציולוגיות, סקסולוגיות, דיאטניות, מומחיות מגדר ועוד). בשנת 2011 לאחר חמש שנות עבודה של למעלה מ 350 נשות מקצוע ראה אור הספר “נשים לגופן”. ניתן לרכוש את הספר בחנויות או באמצעות יצירת קשר עם עמותת נשים לגופן. הספר כולל 26 פרקים, תקצירים של חלקם ונושאים נוספים רבים ניתן למצוא כאן באתר. בספר ריכוז של חומרים רפואיים ואלטרנטיביים, קטעי ראיונות, עדויות אישיות וקטעי מידע של אנשי ונשות מקצוע בתחומים השונים הנוגעים לגופינו, מיניותנו ובריאותנו. הספר כמו גם האתר מאפשר חווית קריאה מורכבת ומעניינת ביותר, המייצרת הזדהות ומעוררת אותנו לפעול למען קידום בריאותנו האישית ובריאות הסובבים אותנו.

It doesn’t matter if you’re
the wife of….
the daughter of…
or the manager of….

First and foremost – you belong to yourself

Women and their Bodies invites you to learn more about your body, and participate in experiential, enriching workshops on women’s health.

News and updates

Our quarterly newsletter reaches 5,000 women across the country, providing updates and information on past and future events. Register to join here…we’re happy to welcome you >>

Safty Online

An innovative program that focuses on developing strengths and recognizing the online dangers and how to handle them.
We aim to empower girls, develop strengths and clear boundaries, while encouraging a positive image of themselves and their
bodies. The work is done through accessible knowledge and workshop sessions (in Hebrew or Arabic) with an experienced group facilitator.

WTB’s Adolescent Girls Expertise (AGE) Center

Learn about our campaign – #My body, my choice.” We’ve launched a new section on our website called the Adolescent Girls Expertise (AGE) Center, where you’ll find a wealth of information on healthy sexuality and contraception for young women. Follow our campaign – WTB Instagram WTB Facebook page.

Workshops

Our workshops offer women and girls of different ages and from different backgrounds an occasion to get together and talk about health and related topics. The workshops are held in a safe and secure environment that encourages free and open discussion, where you can say anything about everything. The meetings are an opportunity learn about significant issues that aren’t typical topics of conversation, with the aim of generating significant change in women’s perspectives on health and their bodies, to contribute to their empowerment, to raise awareness about their rights and improve their ability to take advantage of available health services.
The workshop series are developed as modular units and adapted to various target audiences, organizations, and focus area. They are offered in Hebrew and Arabic.

Current Projects

Menopause – Out of the Closet

Between the ages of 40 and 55, right in the middle of life, at an age when we stop menstruating, we find ourselves in a significant period of our lives, called by various terms and often regarded with negative connotations; menopause, change of life, midlife crisis, and in Arabic, even “years of despair.”
We at WTB prefer the term midlife, because that’s exactly what it is; a natural and ongoing process that starts somewhere in the middle of our lives. One and a quarter million women in Israel are at this age and suffer various symptoms, but the topic is silenced. That’s exactly why our knowledge and action group has created a video to raise awareness.
There is a significant lack of services, as well as professionals in the field who provide medical care and offer treatment options for this age group. Women find themselves with no solutions for a variety of symptoms that they suffer from. That’s why Women and their Bodies is leading a number of projects to promote the health of women at midlife: we work with the Israel Society of Gynecology, The National Council for Women’s Health, we distribute information, hold workshops and provide training on the topic. .

In addition, to learn directly from women what their needs and challenges are at this age, in 2019 we conducted a comprehensive study in Hebrew and Arabic, with the participation of 2600 women. The study examined women’s health, emotional, and sexual needs and challenges, the answers they get and from who, what needs are not being treated, what helps them, and more.

The right to have an abortion

The state of abortions in Israel in the United States and in many parts of the world is a violation of the basic rights of girls and women over their bodies and lives. The coalition of organizations for amending the law on abortions in Israel, in which Women and their Bodies is a partner, has issued a letter expressing solidarity with women in the United States in light of a future ruling by the United States Supreme Court, which could overturn the 1973 precedent ruling v.

Rights in Childbirth

Women and their Bodies, in cooperation with the Israel Midwives Association, has launched the Midwives Pact project. We distributed two research questionnaires, one for midwives and one for women giving birth.

Our goal was to identify the factors that affect the experience of childbirth, so that together, women and midwives, we create a pact, in Hebrew and English, to empower and improve the experience of childbirth in Israel.
The questionnaire was answered by 3400 women and 400 midwives (one-third of the midwifes in Israel). The results of the studies were analyzed and formulated into a pact that meets the needs of women giving birth and the midwives, for a safe and optimal childbirth experience. The pact will be distributed in all maternity units in Israel in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Amharic, and will be accessible to women ahead of giving birth.

Elderly Women

WTB operates a unique and groundbreaking project to promote the health of elderly women across the country. Yes, yes, we use the word elderly – a vital facet of the project is to change and improve negative social perceptions toward age in general and specifically, toward elderly women. The project includes a series of unique and moving videos posted online, called “Elderly women talk about body, health, and sexuality .” In addition, we hold workshops for elderly women across the country in Hebrew and Arabic, and work to identify their needs and health challenges, policy changes, accessibility of information and to spread the word throughout Israeli society.

On the agenda

On the agenda
Recently, we’ve been inundated (again) with reports on sexual violence and gang rape. For many young girls, boys, and women in Israel, sexual violence is not a media item, it’s a reality. A reality with far-reaching implications on their physical, mental, and sexual health. At Women and their Bodies, we work year-round to raise awareness for healthy sexuality and gender equality. In our workshops we hold ongoing discussions on equality, breaking gender stereotypes, social responsibility, healthy sexuality and sexual pleasure. In our workshops you’ll also have opportunity to discuss the media, boundaries and violence, what is consent, what are the terms that mask consent, and the consequences of social pressure. According to statistics from rape crisis centers, boys aged 13-18 engage in gang rape three times (!) more than any other age group! Our view is that education is the main channel toward a civilized society free of sexual violence. We give a shout out to establish an ongoing educational process within the education system. Healthy sexuality and prevention of sexual violence should be part of the curriculum as a required course! Women and Their Bodies does significant work to promote the topic as an organization with limited resources and scope – in workshops, training, and lectures.
See our list of workshops 

July 2019

Social solidarity – Women and their Bodies recommend a representative from the Israel Midwives Association for torch-lighting ceremony

The World Health Organization designated the year 2020 as the “year of the nurse and midwife”! Women and their Bodies approached the Ministry of Culture and Sport with a recommendation to light a torch in recognition of the work of midwives, to strengthen and validate the importance of their work and the vital role they play in the lives of women in Israeli society. Our recommendation was supported by a long list of feminist and health organizations, as well as individuals in the field.

To read the letter in Hebrew click here

January 2020.

Women and their Bodies nominated for the Simone Veil Prize

The Embassy of France in Israel has announced that Women and their Bodies has been chosen as the Israeli feminist organization nomination for the Simone Veil Prize!
The prize is awarded by the government of France to organizations from all over the world who are active in reducing gender inequality, and this year the topic is promoting sexual health among women and girls.

We’re very excited and proud to be nominated.