Celebrating powerful women

from The Sydney Jewish Report - March 2023

Attitude shift

an equal female place in Israeli politics, academia, media and the business sector. This is achieved by advancing projects that engender change in Israeli society.

Women across Australia will collaborate for the UIA Women’s Division 2023 Campaign events in March in Sydney (19th), Melbourne (22nd) and Perth (23rd). The get togethers with inspirational speakers, food and drink all support the People of Israel.

This year’s theme is Celebrating Powerful Women and UIA is pleased to be able to welcome two Israelis who embody this.

They are Ayelet Shaked, Israel's former Minister of Justice and Interior, activist and software engineer, and Liat Shaked, the CEO of Supersonas, a social enterprise business that promotes gender equality.

Sydney supporters can watch on their own or together with family and friends. In Melbourne, guests are invited to attend an in-person supper event at St Kilda Town Hall. Perth has organised a seated dinner at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.

Ayelet Shaked started her career in Tel Aviv's high-tech industry, working as an engineer. She entered public life in 2010, co-founding the My Israel movement, which grew to become one of Israel’s largest grassroots campaigns. In 2013, Shaked formally entered Israeli politics and within two years rose to become Israel’s Minister of Justice.

Following the formation of the Israeli government in 2021 – the most diverse in its history –

Shaked was appointed as Minister of Interior. She left the Knesset in December 2022 and is regarded as one of Israel’s most significant legislators of the past decade, and the only secular woman to have led an Orthodox party.

Liat Shaked’s strengths lie in reinforcing the connections between sectors, managing communities, entrepreneurship and in establishing and developing programs. These qualities support the main aim of Supersonas – to promote gender equality and ensure

The Women’s Division campaigns across Australia will focus on Heartbeats, a program which offers a framework for parents to receive support in the early stages of their children’s lives. Located in 11 areas on Israel’s periphery, Heartbeats supports mothers and fathers from at-risk populations that have one or two children aged 0-3, along with parents-to-be.

Professionally trained mentors who work with the families over a period of 18 months are at the core of Heartbeats. The unique aspect of Heartbeats is that it encompasses an intervention program that gives young children a stable framework, enabling them to thrive, while providing parents with the tools and knowledge to be better parents. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the children in the program will require less or no intervention as they continue to develop.

UIA Australia and WA Women’s Division president Debbie Schaffer OAM said the organisation is “excited to be returning to in-person events across the country in celebration of Israel’s 75th. The UIA Women’s Division prides itself on bringing the community dynamic and inspiring speakers and Ayelet Shaked and Liat Shaked truly embody these attributes. We invite communities across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth to join us in Celebrating Powerful Women at these incredible events. We are also delighted to be uniting to support Heartbeats as a national project.”

To book for UIA Women’s Division 2023 Campaign Events, visit www.uiaaustralia.org.au or contact your local UIA office: