Opening Your Closet to End Violence Against Women

All events were organized by the Committee Against Domestic Violence and the Gender Equality Officer at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center: Professor Merav Ben Natan – Director of the School of Nursing, Dr. Renat Raines-Carmel – Senior Physician in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Division and Director of the Helena Center for sexual assault victims, with the assistance of staff and students from the School of Nursing.

At the opening of the day's events, social worker Maram Qawar, Chairperson of the hospital's Committee Against Domestic Violence, asked the audience in the hall to observe a moment of silence in memory of the women murdered this year due to domestic violence. The medical center staff then heard a lecture by Rauia Handelko, an attorney who is the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Security in Arab Society. She addressed the difficulties and complexities of responding to violence in the Arab sector.

Fashion show to encourage second-hand clothing sales benefiting sexual assault victims at Hillel Yaffe

Following the lecture, at the entrance to Inpatient Building B of the medical center, there was a sale of second-hand items, collected by Hillel Yaffe Medical Center employees, with all proceeds donated to support women victims of violence. During the sale, to encourage purchases, a fashion show was held featuring the items for sale, modeled voluntarily by medical center and School of Nursing staff members.

Also at the same location, a “Purple Card” information booth was set up – to increase awareness of an initiative of the Ministry of Health and the Briah Foundation, in which Hillel Yaffe Medical Center is among the first to participate. The initiative involves issuing a card that allows victims to inform staff of past trauma, enabling the staff to provide sensitive, trauma-informed care without requiring the victim to describe the incident.

Professor Ben Natan and Dr. Raines summarized the event, "While this is just one day a year, the message here is for a more just and, above all, safer society for women and everyone.”