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With Your Support We Can make a Change Dear special friend of Aswat, This year, Aswat continues to grow, develop and outreach to a larger number of Palestinian gay women, LGBTQI communities and the general public. This is all because of your generous contribution and keen support to our programs and activities. Believing in Aswat enables us to answer the needs of Palestinian gay women in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Being the first and only organization that provides a safe space for Palestinian gay women, educate LGBTQI persons and communities and keenly advocate for LGBTQI rights, Aswat carries heavy responsibilities on her shoulders. Still, with an exceptional group of Palestinian gay women, who invest ample efforts in operating sustainable programs to answer the needs of LGBTQI people, Aswat's continues to maximize its potential and lead a change in our society to improve the lives of Palestinian gay women in particular and LGBTQI persons and communities in general. The challenges facing Aswat are beyond the financial sphere, as the status of the Palestinian minority in Israel keeps deteriorating; from being second class citizens in the 90's, to becoming third and fourth class citizens. This is a direct result of policies that legitimize systematic discrimination against the Palestinian minority; which are very strongly reinforced by government officials and Israeli Media. In addition to being a Palestinian minority in a country in constant conflict, Palestinian gay women persistently combat gender discrimination within their own Arab-Palestinian community; a community that prioritizes male dominance, creating female subordination. Hence, Palestinian women lead a struggle to gain recognition in their own patriarchal families and communities. Clearly, struggling to gain recognition as a national minority and as women in a male dominant society makes the struggle in gaining recognition as gay even hard to imagine. Nevertheless, Aswat is a courageous group of women who gathered to resist any form of discrimination and strengthen Palestinian gay women through operating programs aiming to empower the women, educate the general public and address social imbalances. We have come a long way and every year, it is becoming more and more difficult to count our successes, as we have accumulated become many. Nonetheless, we have only taken the initial steps in our long journey, and with your sustainable support, we can continue our journey to assure equality for human beings regardless of their nationality, gender or sexual preference. We believe that through continuing our work, Aswat will promote long term changes in social values and combat discrimination against Palestinian gay women. Our voices are reaching the Arabic and Israeli media, academic institutions, governmental bodies, grassroots organizations and the general public, where we raise awareness and initiate debate on women's sexuality and the intersections between gender, sexuality and nationalism. It is a triple struggle that is unique to Aswat as a Palestinian Gay Women Organization. The challenge remains, however, to operate our educational programs in schools and community centers, and to receive recognition and direct support from Israel’s Ministry of Education, other governmental bodies and Arab institutions. This support means recognition; such recognition means greater access to our target audiences, as we aspire to serve growing constituencies in the best possible way. As our friends, partners and allies, you can help us reach out to more women who have been hiding in their dark closets, weakened by their own fears, confused by doubts of uncertainties. We can let them know that we are here to support them, to inspire them, to empower them and build a better future for ourselves and others. Please be a part of these aspirations and contribute your share into making this world a better place for all of us. We warmly thank you for your support and solidarity. How to Donate Donate directly: Donor advised tax deductible donations (please note on the check that your donation is for ASWAT) can be made via a branch of the New Israel Fund: ASWAT- Palestinian Gay Women You can write to us to the following address regarding any inquiries about your donation:
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