By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Over the years it has been an honor to write about and speak to many inspiring women throughout the world, in honor of International Women’s Day here is a selection of coverage I’ve done on women in different places, facing different challenges, from veterans of the Second World War to women in Senegal using drip irrigation, from politicians to victims of harassment.
- Surika Braverman: Last of the Jewish volunteers who trained to parachute into Nazi-occupied Europe. I profiled here in February 2013. She passed away not long after I interviewed her. Here is the article.
In Senegal I met women learning drip irrigation (Seth J. Frantzman)
- ‘Sengalese women’s message to the world’: I went to Senegal in 2016 and met with a former Prime Minister Aminata Toure and a presidential candidate and other women and wrote about the struggles they have and the successes. Here at Al-Jazeera is the article
- I profiled Ayaan Hirsi Ali for the cover of The Jerusalem Post Magazine in 2015, highlighting her life and work. The article is here.
- In 2016 I wrote about the role of Kurdish women in joining fighting units to defend Kurdish rights. I profiled all the major Kurdish groups that have recruited women including the Rojava Peshmerga, YPG, PAK, PKK, PDKI and others. We went to the KTCC to see training as well and there was supposed to be a women’s unit but unfortunately we could not interview them, nevertheless the piece is comprehensive, The article is here.
Kurdish women on Kurdish flag day in 2015
- In 2017 I went to Egypt and spoke to women’s activists from different walks of life and wrote about the changes in women’s rights in Egypt, the fight against FGM and other issues they face. I met with the National Council for Women, Dalia Ziada and Maii Magdi among others. The article is here.
With Egyptian women
- I covered Palestine Fashion Week in 2014, an annual event that showcases local models and designers. The article is here
- In recent years Israel has rolled out several coed units, including the Lions of the Jordan. The battalion is stationed on the border with Jordan and patrols the Jordan valley. I went down when they were ending some of the first trainings and spoke with the men and women. The article is here
Lions of the Jordan
- Why do institutions handle sexual harassment so badly. Whether it is religious groups, such as the Catholic Church or a yeshivah, or a university, all institutions tend to behave the same, they attack the victim, defend the accuser and make complaints difficult. I’ve spoken out many times about this, here is one oped on it.
- When the refugee crises mounted, I went to Turkey and men women refugees in Kilis and discussed the difficulties they face, unique in the face of conflict. Here is the piece
Refugees from Kobani in Turkey in 2016
- Why do Arab women face hurdles in employment, and is their situation as bad as it seems from the data. I took a look at Arab women in Israel and the pitfalls and successes in employment in a 2011 article. Here is the article.
- And…I’ve written on Palestinian women in swimming and sport and profiled both Nabila Espanioly and Haneen Zoabi. Years ago I also interviewed Condolezza Rice in 2011.
