Abir and Mira sit under the trees outside the Noa/Nuha Centre for Women and Gender Studies discussing next weeks class. Together they teach the bi national business course at Givat Haviva for groups of Arab and Jewish women. They plan the logistics of taking the class on a trip to visit one student’s cafe business the nest day." It is so important for students to access real case studies in the course - other student's projects are real and we can all asses them here and now" says Mira.  Next week they will visit another student’s handbag and jewellery design company nearby.

The Noa/Nuha Centre for Women and Gender is part of Givat Haviva.It matured from the Women and Gender studies unit into the Noa/Nuha Centre for Women and Gender studies in 2002 and now offers multiple courses and support networks for women. This business course runs alongside other trainings such as Women as Facilitators and Women in Community courses offered to mental health practicioners. It is open to any Arab or Jewish business woman already running their own business but who needs direction and advice on progress and development.

Abir is an Arab facilitator who trained as a social worker before taking her second degree in Public Policy from Hebrew University. She first came to Givat Haviva to learn how to facilitate groups and she never left, turning from student into teacher. Mira, on the other hand, comes from a business background. She ran her own business and has worked for big businesses in marketing management. After having children herself, she became a business consultant and now is a private business coach as well as working at Givat Haviva. Both women have a lifelong passion for helping other women to find empowerment and economic independence

The one year business course meets one morning each week and Abir and Mira team teach. Mira teaches basic business skills essential for running and developing a successful business.  Business plans are written, goals cited and advertising and marketing issues discussed. “But we also look at obstacles to success that are sometimes rooted in female psyche and society expectations. Support from family, husband and kids is a basic prerequisite for a successful businesswoman” adds Mira 

Abir agrees “For every business aspect there is personal side to reinforce the business side. Every woman should consider the personal context in order to succeed in business for example if you are not assertive in your personal life then it might be difficult to be assertive in business - they often go hand in hand.”

They both believe that there are many differences between Arab and Jewish mentality and culture. “ Jewish business women have the  freedom to choose which business to open and decide and control her own time and resources but Arab woman are very much dominated by extended families.” says Mira  “There seem to be a great deal of interfering and supervising by the husband and his family in Arab society . They are not as free to decide and start working and building a business. Arab women have to close some extra gaps and deal with so many more difficulties on top of the normal challenges of running your own business.” Abir admits that she paid a price for ignoring family and society values to pursue her own career. She reflects “We have to gain legitimacy from others and not just rely on ourselves. If you get husband and children’s support then you have enough support to go on your way and just have to deal with other extended family - some women pay too much attention to larger family opinion and let that manage them!" confides Abir."Now my family accept what i am doing and leave me alone but i did pay a price to get to this point!"

Mira thinks that Jewish society are very unfamiliar about Arab society " At the first meetings you get a lot of "wow I didn’t’ know that!" from the Jewish women" There aresome stigmas as Jewish women have few chances to really meet on a personal level. "I think it is very thrilling to see the surprise when the Jewish women hear stories of Arab women's daily lives and dilemmas. This makes us much more closer and cooperate on real level." Both teachers agree that it is however the women issue and identity that unifies them all.

Many women last year had never been in an Arab village before. "We were to attend a big city for presentation in Alam Fachem which Jews see as a very radical and religious city so they had a lot of doubts and fears about going there and of being attacked. We had to relax them and everything was just fine" describes Mira.

There is an intense partnership that often develops between the women and many personal contacts have been created along the years. "People stay friends even though they are Arab and Jewish. They find the personal thing that connects them despite all the political disagreements and other cultural differences."says Mira. “ There is a woman  from village kara and other from pardes Hannah both hairdressers and one is Arab and one Jewish and now they are daily cooperation  sending clients to one  another and buying products together and helping each other almost like one business.” celebrates Abir.

It is Mira’s first year teaching this course but it is Abir’s fifth. “I thought I had seen everything but with each new group I learn something new and feel I have been enriched in some way. I also learn a lot about business aspects from Mira which is great perk of team teaching” admits Abir. Mira adds” this partnership with Abir teaching this course has empowered me and I have discovered things about myself too. WE work in an open creative partnership and I think our teaching styles and our own perspectives and knowledge base really complete each other. I discovered for the first time the need to really deal with cultural issues in business”

Mira specifically came to teach at this centre because of the bi national challenge and has found it very interesting" It makes me happy to come here every morning and to see a side I didn’t know till now - how business women in Arab world are dealing with their business and developing  and how they think – it is very unique to teach in such a class and I plan to do some more of it in future. It has made teaching my course so much more challenging and rewarding"