women , critical pedagogy and poverty www.criticalpedagogy.org.il

20.6 % of the women in Israel are living under poverty line 30 % of children are living in poverty. We believe that the way to struggle against poverty is education, the government think that the way to increase jobs is truism.
I would like to open my text with a description of commercial campaign that was sponsored by the Israeli Tourism Ministry that will latter link to one of the reasons of women's poverty in my country.

Images of sexy female soldiers decorate promotion posters who invite tourists for a unique visit to Israel sponsored by the ministry of tourism. Seeing them you feel as if they will do everything for you, everything you will want, if you just ask for it. They are depicted disarming a weapon and holding it between their legs, their faces expressing pleasure. Or, they will lie on their backs wearing a bikini with a pattern of camouflage, just waiting for the opportunity to advance and promote Israel's affairs. Sometimes they will just lay on the floor, bending over a machine gun, wearing a wet white T-shirt – just come! Although not advertising sex tourism it is often easy to confuse these ads and commercials for such.
This does not remain confined to the militaristic (and sexist) discourse and international image of Israel. A recent Internet and television commercials campaign meant to “sex-up” Israel's image portrays women on the beach wearing bikinis and G-strings, moving erotically around, playing beach games, while two male tourists “check them out”, saying “holy shit”, “holy fuck”, “holy cow” only to introduce the slogans “Israel – no wonder they call it the holy land!” and “the holy land, not what you thought” . What did they think? What did the leaders of my country think? I don't look like that; I don't want to be expected to have random sex with male tourists in order to advance tourism to Israel. I don't want this not only because I am not a piece of meat, I do not want it because it is well known that youth tourism only enhances the percentage of local women's rape by tourists. As a woman, I had really hoped that my country would protect me from such a vicious horizon, not pimp me.
This tourism campaign represents Israel's leadership perception of women and their social roles.

There is a connection between the need to be free from war and conflict, and the need to be free from poverty, patriarchy and its control over women's bodies women's bodies are being used and exploited on all levels – cultural, political, commercial, social and inter-personal. However, in conflict zones they are exploited particularly for the purpose of escalating conflict and/or enhancing national pride and the division between "us" and "them".
" Them" are balmaed for all the sociatial problems including poverty." They" are risking our country thherfore most budjects are going into 'security' and military rether then to combat against poversty and creation of dignifing jobs for women.
We at the center for feminist critical pedagogy created a program of elementary teachers' preparation strives to build teachers' capacity to educate children toward social justice and gender equality that strongly link to peace, conflict transformation and dialogue.
The group of students reflects the various segments of Israeli society. The group contains Palestinians and Jews, migrant worker, refugees from Darfur- Sudan, Jews from Ethiopia, Georgia, France, deaf, students from the cultural and geographical center and peripheries 18-57 years old. The participants speak 12 different mother tongues and affiliate with 5 religions. They are committed activists in different organization for dialogue social change, which are part of the civil society in Israel.
We aim to deconstruct militaristic and sexist notions in the education system and to promote security and gender equity in wide range of related issues. In addition to learn and teach educational philosophy and praxis of critical feminist pedagogy. We are preparing women and men from all social groups, classes , ethnicities and religions to work as critical teachers. We are using peace and feminist education methodologies to develop understandings between different groups and create a rich multicultural learning environment.
To prepare a group of leading educators who would bring peace education and social justice into formal and non-formal education.
To create a network of activist that would teach toward a equal society and social change.
To raise awareness to gender inequalities and other forms of discrimination in education
To give tools and skills to create social change projects with gender mainstreaming objectives.
Practicum
The students do a practicum education work in organization for social change, and in schools. They are required to implement ideas of alternative education, innovative relevant pedagogy for poor children from marginalized groups.